Nearly a year into his second term, President Donald Trump has taken unprecedented steps to affix his own name and personal brand to multiple public institutions, landmarks, and national projects.
The most visible and controversial renaming so far is that of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The board of trustees, now chaired by Trump after replacing many members with loyalists, voted to rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, widely referred to as the Trump-Kennedy Center. New signage has already been installed on the building's exterior, and the institution's website reflects the name change.
Numerous members of the Kennedy family have condemned the decision, including JFK's nieces, Kerry Kennedy and Maria Shriver, as well as his grandson, Jack Schlossberg. Kerry wrote on X that, "President Kennedy proudly stood for justice, peace, equality, dignity, diversity, and compassion for those who suffer. President Trump stands in opposition to these values, and his name should not be placed alongside President Kennedy's."
(2/2) President Kennedy proudly stood for justice, peace, equality, dignity, diversity, and compassion for those who suffer. President Trump stands in opposition to these values, and his name should not be placed alongside President Kennedy's.https://t.co/oQREUpbZ8F
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) December 18, 2025
Another of the 35th president's nieces, Maria Shriver stating, "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."
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… pic.twitter.com/wcGjTp2uqa
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) December 18, 2025
Another landmark renaming tied to Trump's administration involves the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Under Trump's oversight, the longtime independent nonprofit created by Congress now carries the designation Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, after Trump asserted the institute was revitalized under his leadership.
This morning, the State Department renamed the former Institute of Peace to reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history.
— Department of State (@StateDept) December 3, 2025
Welcome to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The best is yet to come. pic.twitter.com/v7DgkoZphn
The move came after the Trump administration engaged in a legal battle over control of USIP when the administration's budget request for the next fiscal year called for the cessation of federal funding for it, and the firing of most of its board. Counsel for former USIP leadership and staff, George Foote, called the renaming "an insult to injury."
Trump's most recent move to name something after himself was revealed on Tuesday when he announced that his administration will be commissioning a new class of Navy battleships that will be "100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built."
At an event at his West Palm Beach property, Mar-a-Lago, Trump unveiled the initiative to build large battleships as part of what he described as a Golden Fleet, with the first ship in the "Trump-class" named the USS Defiant. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and several U.S. Navy and Department of Defense officials stood alongside Trump during the announcement.
These will be the LARGEST battleships in the WORLD. pic.twitter.com/uwJ6MdE9D0
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) December 22, 2025
While not an explicit renaming, the Trump administration has undertaken an extensive $400 million renovation of the White House, installing a 90,000-square-foot State Ballroom on the site of the old East Wing, which was demolished in October of that year to make way for the expansion.
The ballroom, intended to triple the capacity for official functions compared with the existing East Room, is being funded primarily by private donors. While he said that he doesn't intend to name the ballroom after himself, Fox News host Jesse Watters claimed that Trump was constructing the ballroom as a monument to himself, as "no one else will" build one.
The Rose Garden, a historic outdoor space traditionally used to host ceremonies and press events, was reconfigured in September when the lawn was replaced with a stone patio laid in a decorative pattern and fitted with solar-powered lighting.
Another installation is the 'Presidential Walk of Fame', which features plaques beneath portraits of former US presidents along the West Colonnade. Instead of standard historical summaries, the descriptions offer sharply worded judgements that closely mirror Trump's long-standing rhetoric toward figures such as Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
The plaque beneath Joe Biden's portrait describes him as 'by far, the worst President in American history'. It also repeats Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, a narrative that courts and election officials have repeatedly rejected.
Biden's image has itself been replaced. Rather than a photograph, the display shows an autopen, a reference to Trump's claim that Biden was unaware of documents signed during his presidency. Biden left office in January at the age of 82.
Barack Obama's plaque labels him 'one of the most divisive political figures in American history' and includes his middle name, Hussein, a detail Trump has frequently emphasised over the years while amplifying conspiracy theories about Obama's background.
