CNN Panelists Clash Over Kennedy Center Name Change
On a recent CNN program, a fiery exchange occurred between Cari Champion and Brianna Lyman regarding the Kennedy Center's decision to incorporate President Donald Trump's name into its title.
The Federalist's elections correspondent, Lyman, downplayed concerns about the renaming, noting that Democrats had supported numerous name changes honoring George Floyd in 2020 following his death in police custody. The Kennedy Center board, chaired by Trump, unanimously approved the addition this week, resulting in the new designation: "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing."
Opponents have highlighted that altering the name legally requires congressional action, as it was established by federal statute. Lyman contended that the center had been deteriorating and is undergoing restoration under Trump's leadership.
Champion challenged the comparison between Floyd and Trump, repeatedly interrupting Lyman as they debated racial issues and presidential standards. "Trump's insistence on attaching his name to everything, and your attempt to normalize it, indicates you're part of the problem, not the solution," Champion stated during the discussion. "His mental sharpness is lacking. He's clearly unstable, and no one is addressing it."
In the dialogue, Lyman remarked, "I didn't spend too much time looking at this because I didn't think it was that big of a deal... but I do find it funny that you care and that the Kennedys care because no one in your party cared in 2020 when you guys were changing names of hospitals, parks, schools, streets, everything in the name of George Floyd." She added, "Wikipedia has an entire page called 'list of name changes due to the George Floyd protests.' It is the longest Wikipedia page I've ever seen."
Lyman also described visiting the Kennedy Center in 2023, noting stained seats and dirty floors, and argued that those who now express concern were silent during its decline. Champion responded by emphasizing the broader context of racial reckoning in 2020, stating, "This country had a racial reckoning and they understood that this country had done some things that were very unfair, especially to marginalized [people], especially to Black people."
The debate underscored deep divisions over the renaming and its implications for political norms.
