The name change has stirred backlash, particularly from members of the Kennedy family. Former Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, questioned whether the name change was legal. He posted on social media that the Kennedy Center was established by an act of Congress as a memorial to President Kennedy and compared the change to trying to rename the Lincoln Memorial.
Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and head of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center, also expressed strong disagreement. In a message shared online, she accused the Trump administration of targeting freedom of speech, including artists and journalists. She claimed that President Kennedy and President Trump represent very different values and said Trump’s name should not appear next to her father’s.
Maria Shriver, daughter of President Kennedy’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, also reacted emotionally. She said she was left “speechless” and in “disbelief.” Shriver had previously clashed with Trump on social media, particularly after his remarks about the death of filmmaker Rob Reiner.