A resurfaced letter from Jackie Kennedy is drawing fresh attention as the Kennedy Center faces intense backlash over what critics are calling a full-scale MAGA takeover.
In an October 1964 letter to Kennedy Center chairman Roger Stevens, the former first lady expressed deep unease about naming the Washington, D.C. arts institution after her late husband, President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated the year before. Jackie Kennedy wrote that she felt pressured into the decision at a time when she was still overwhelmed by grief.
“Last winter, when the decision was made to name it after him, I was not capable of making any decision — and so many people were pressuring me,” she wrote. “I don’t think he needs any memorial his grave and his Library are that. The Center was a problem he inherited and he would have done it differently had he initiated it. All I care about now is sparing him controversy. He has a right to peace now. So you must understand my hesitancy.”
Despite her reluctance, she said she would cooperate if she was given meaningful input on key leadership decisions, including the selection of the center’s director, trustees, and her own representative on the board.
“If these things cannot be granted, then I will ask in the next session of Congress that the Center’s name be changed,” she wrote. “If you will grant me these things I will work with you with dedication. I do not think that I am difficult to work with.”
Jackie also warned that the institution’s governance should not become a political tool, insisting trustees should be chosen for their dedication to the arts rather than loyalty or favors.
“The appointment of trustees must never be allowed to fall into the realm of political patronage,” she wrote. “If the incumbent President has a friend who is interested in the arts fine he should be on the board as he can help but someone who is being repaid for past favors (George Brown) or named in hope of campaign contributions should not be on it.”
Six decades later, that warning has taken on renewed relevance. After returning to the office, President Donald Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center and filled its traditionally bipartisan board with loyalists. Ric Grenell was named president, while Sergio Gor was appointed secretary.
Trump also placed his name on the building’s exterior, despite needing congressional approval to officially rename it. The moves sparked swift backlash from artists and audiences. Several major performers withdrew, and reports indicate ticket sales dropped sharply.
Last week, Trump announced plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years starting July 4, describing it as “tired, broken, and dilapidated” and promising a dramatic renovation.
“If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruption from Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer,” he wrote on Truth Social.
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