Maria Shriver slams Trump over Kennedy Center name change decision: 'Beyond comprehension'

By Fox News · Fox News

Maria Shriver slammed President Donald Trump on Thursday after the Kennedy Center's board voted unanimously to rename the institution to the "Trump-Kennedy Center," accusing him of trying to attach his name to a memorial dedicated to her uncle, President John F. Kennedy. Shriver, a high-profile member of the Kennedy family, said it is "beyond comprehension" to change the center's name, accusing Trump of staining JFK’s legacy in art, culture and education. "It is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy," Shriver wrote on X. "It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not." Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi told Fox Digital Thursday that the unanimous vote "recognizes" Trump's work to pull the center out of financial straits while working to also update the building originally constructed in the 1960s, and opened in 1971. TRUMP ADDS HIS BIRTHDAY AS FREE NATIONAL PARK DAY WHILE AXING MLK DAY AND JUNETEENTH Shriver argued that adding Trump's name was not "dignified" or "funny," and "is way beneath the stature of the job." "Just when you think someone can’t stoop any lower, down they go," she said. The former First Lady of California quipped that Trump might want to rename JFK Airport or make other changes, including the " Trump Lincoln Memorial ," "Trump Jefferson Memorial" and "Trump Smithsonian." TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER HONORS OVERHAUL DELIVERS STAR-STUDDED LINEUP, NEW MEDALLION AND HISTORIC HOSTING ROLE "Can we not see what is happening here?" Shriver said. "C’mon, my fellow Americans! Wake up!" President Trump said on Thursday he was "honored" and "surprised" by the update. "We're saving the building. We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape, physically, financially, in every other way. And now it's very solid, very strong. We have something going on television, I guess on t…