Ego Over Legacy Is Never a Good Look

No matter where you land politically, putting Donald Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center doesn’t sit right.

This isn’t about left or right.
It’s about judgment, restraint, and knowing when to leave things alone.

John F. Kennedy’s name stands for a certain moment in American history—public service, civil rights, the space race, and the idea that leadership is supposed to be bigger than the person holding the job. The Kennedy Center was built to reflect that. It was never meant to be somebody’s personal billboard.

Look, there are normal ways to recognize donors.
You put up a plaque.
You name a room or a ballroom.
That’s how it’s always been done, and no one has a problem with it.

But putting a living political figure’s name into a place that symbolic—especially in front of Kennedy’s—changes the whole feel. Now it’s not just recognition. It’s comparison. And that was never the point of the place.

Yes, the Kennedy Center has seen its share of controversy over the years. Funding debates, programming decisions, board politics—it comes with the territory. But controversy alone isn’t the issue here. This crosses into something else. This is about taste.

Even institutions that evolve usually know where the lines are. The Kennedy Center was created as a living memorial; meant to honor Kennedy and the ideals he represented—not to become a stage for personal legacy-building by anyone temporarily holding power. When symbolism is this strong, order matters. Sequence matters. And putting another political name ahead of Kennedy’s inevitably reframes what the Center stands for.

The usual defense is, “It was privately funded, not taxpayer money.”
Fine—but that misses the point.

Big donations rarely come without expectations. Influence, access, prestige—that’s the real currency. And when national cultural institutions start drifting into branding territory, even subtly, they stop feeling like they belong to everyone.

Real leadership isn’t about how many places you can stamp your name on.
It’s about knowing when your name doesn’t belong there.

The Kennedy Center is supposed to rise above momentary politics and individual ambition. It’s a national landmark, not a vanity project. Its value comes from continuity—from the fact that some things are meant to stand on their own.

Controversy fades.
Poor judgment lingers.

And honestly, some things gain their power by being left untouched.

John F Lorne