Rory Kennedy, 57, thinks Trump’s efforts to remake the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts are an insult to her uncle.
Kennedy, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, is the niece of President John F. Kennedy, for whom the Center was created as a “living memorial.”
“This is a clear example of overstepping,” Kennedy told Obsessed: The Podcast of Trump’s latest threats against the cultural institution. “So my hope is that Congress pushes back and does its job, which is, if they want to rename the Kennedy Center, then put it to a vote.”
Since 2025, Trump has violated the Kennedy Center’s fundamental mission of bolstering America’s connection to the performing arts by trying to use the venue to further his political agenda. In December, Trump added his name to the Kennedy Center’s facade, but a federal judge ruled the change illegal and ordered its removal.
Trump has since announced that he’ll add an inscription underneath the current signage saying, “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump,” in reference to the renovations that Trump claims necessitate the building’s two-year closure. And just this week, his administration threatened to demolish the building entirely if the president doesn’t get his way.
To Kennedy, this clearly violates the law that “says very clearly that you can’t change the name of the institution, and you can’t change anything on the mantle or outside of the institution without congressional approval.”
“And so, to me, it’s an affront to the Kennedy Center and to the arts,” she added. “My uncle, John F. Kennedy—this was something that Congress put in his name as a memorial, not unlike the Lincoln Memorial, but wanted it to be an active memorial. It was really meant to celebrate and to recognize the love in this country for this pretty spectacular fallen president.”
In addition to her status as part of America’s most famous political dynasty, Kennedy is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker. Her films investigate hard-hitting social and political issues, earning her a slate of accolades including an Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Special for her 2007 documentary Ghosts Of Abu Ghraib and an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary, Feature for her 2015 film Last Days in Vietnam.
Her current project, Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, investigates deadly systemic safety failures at Boeing. It’s now streaming on Netflix as a follow-up to her 2022 documentary, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing.
Kennedy finds the fact that Trump decided to make changes to the Kennedy Center without Congress’ approval “unsettling” and “upsetting,” and said she believes it shows a complete disregard for the system of checks and balances that hold officials accountable.
Though Kennedy feels confident the judicial and legislative branches will eventually prevent Trump’s unconstitutional actions against the Kennedy Center, she’s frustrated at how depleting the whole endeavor has become.
“I’m confident that the system will play itself out the way it’s supposed to,” she said, “but I think it’s consuming a lot of resources and time that feels ill-spent.”
Since June, a tarp has covered the Kennedy Center’s facade, obscuring the building’s sign. The MAGA-infested Kennedy Center board attempted to justify the tarp’s presence by claiming they’re “necessary” for construction and will “enable further repairs to be made while minimizing delay, public disruption, and cost redundancies.”
Kennedy is skeptical of their reasoning.
“What are they hiding back there?” Kennedy asked.
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing is streaming now on Netflix.
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