JFK’s family slams Trump over Kennedy Center: ‘How small minded, how narcissistic’

Members of the Kennedy family publicly condemned President Donald Trump over his efforts to affix his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and related actions involving planned renovations. In comments reported in reaction to the president's campaign to rebrand the institution, a member of the family used the phrase "How small minded, how narcissistic." The remarks express direct opposition from the family whose name the center bears.

Separately, the Kennedy Center's board — described in reporting as being handpicked by President Trump — voted on Tuesday to close the center's main building. The closure decision relates to a schedule of planned renovations that have been at the center of contention between the institution and the White House.

President Trump responded to the situation by saying the renovations would not take place; the available reporting does not provide further detail on any conditions or timelines he attached to that statement. The dispute has highlighted tensions over the stewardship and branding of a major national cultural institution.

The sequence of events — a board vote to close the facility, the president's statements about the renovations, and sharp criticism from the Kennedy family — underscores a public clash involving family legacy, presidential influence, and management of a federally affiliated arts center.