On Friday in Washington, D.C., the Kennedy Center officially added US President Donald Trump's name to its title. The new signage reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The board voted unanimously to rename the venue The Trump Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center was first proposed in 1955 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a national cultural centre. It opened in 1971 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination. Over the years, it has hosted many legendary artists and has been a place open to all, offering concerts and educational programs. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Philip Kennicott noted that the centre balances being a palace of the arts with broad public access. He compared the renaming controversy to that of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, suggesting the debates will fade over time. Meanwhile, several Senate Democrats have started investigating the Kennedy Center leadership amid claims of cronyism and corruption. This renaming has brought fresh focus to the historic institution in the heart of US culture and politics.