Maria Shriver slams Trump over Kennedy Center renaming decision: 'It is not acceptable'

WASHINGTON, DC: Journalist and former lady of California, Maria Shriver, has slammed President Donald Trump after the board voted to rename the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’. 

Shriver accused Trump of attaching his name to a memorial dedicated to her uncle, describing it as beyond comprehension.

Maria Shriver's post slamming Donald Trump

On Thursday, Dec 18, Shriver slammed Trump after the Kennedy Center's board voted unanimously to rename the institution after the president.

Taking to X, Shriver wrote, “The Kennedy Center was named after my uncle, President John F Kennedy. It was named in his honor. He was a man who was interested in the arts, interested in culture, interested in education, language, history."

"He brought the arts into the White House, and he and my Aunt Jackie amplified the arts, celebrated the arts, stood up for the arts and artists,” she said. “It is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy. It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”

“Next thing perhaps he will want to rename JFK Airport, rename the Lincoln Memorial, the Trump Lincoln Memorial. The Trump Jefferson Memorial. The Trump Smithsonian. The list goes on. Can we not see what is happening here? C’mon, my fellow Americans! Wake up! This is not dignified. This is not funny. This is way beneath the stature of the job. It’s downright weird. It’s obsessive in a weird way. Just when you think someone can’t stoop any lower, down they go…” she concluded.

Karoline Leavitt announces the decision

“I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on X.

“Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future!” she added. “The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur.”

Donald Trump's response to the decision

"We're saving the building. We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape, physically, financially, in every other way. And now it's very solid, very strong."

"We have something going on television, I guess on the 23rd December. I think it's going to get very big ratings, and the Kennedy Center is really, really back strongly," Trump told reporters on Thursday, reacting to the decision.