# Streisand blasts Trump's Kennedy Center power play

> The legendary singer condemns the president's attempt to rename the cultural institution after himself as an act of unchecked ego.
- Title: Streisand blasts Trump's Kennedy Center power play · Billboard
- Summary: The legendary singer condemns the president's attempt to rename the cultural institution after himself as an act of unchecked ego. Barbra Streisand views…
- Keywords: barbra streisand, donald trump, kennedy center, renaming attempt, jfk memorial, arts advocacy, federal judge, building closure, washington dc, cultural institution, Streisand, blasts
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/music/music-news/barbra-streisand-kennedy-center-trump-1236342763
- Author: Hannah Dailey
- Published: 2026-09-17T20:35:18+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: barbra streisand, donald trump, kennedy center, renaming attempt, jfk memorial, arts advocacy, federal judge, building closure, washington dc, cultural institution
## Kennedy Center built as JFK memorial
Congress designated the National Cultural Center as a living memorial to President Kennedy after his 1963 assassination. It was renamed in his honor because he championed the arts.

> Re-naming the Cultural Center in JFK's honor was a fitting choice, because he was a true champion of the arts.
## Streisand honored at Kennedy Center
In 2008, Streisand received the Kennedy Center Honors, which she says represented more than career recognition. It symbolized her belief in art's importance to democracy.

> For me, and for so many artists, that honor represented something larger than a career recognition.
## Trump attempts to rename the building
Trump tried to add his name to the Kennedy Center entrance alongside JFK's. The move faced widespread opposition from artists and the public, and a federal judge blocked it in May.

> When Donald Trump attempted to put his name alongside the late President Kennedy's on the building's entrance, the move was met with widespread opposition.
## Kennedy Center suddenly closes for renovations
The center closed Wednesday for safety repairs, but the timing raised suspicion since a judge had just blocked Trump's renaming attempt hours earlier. Trump said the building would be demolished without his support.
## Streisand condemns Trump's unchecked ego
Streisand called it galling and painful to see the institution become a battleground over one man's name. She criticized Trump's unchecked ego and urged voters to act in upcoming elections.

> You can easily imagine my indignation at seeing this revered institution become the subject of such a bitter struggle over one man's name and unchecked ego.
## Judge orders 30-day demolition notice
A federal judge ruled Trump must give at least 30 days' notice before demolishing the Kennedy Center. The order came after Trump was photographed reviewing a poster that read Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.
## Key takeaway

Barbra Streisand views Trump's Kennedy Center takeover as a threat to the institution's legacy as a memorial to JFK and a symbol of art's importance to democracy.