In late December 2025, posts online claimed U.S. President Donald Trump had posted photos on social media of marble armrests that might be installed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The claim came mostly from Trump critics, who described the armrests as egocentric and an example of Trump not focusing on affordability for regular Americans. It also came in the wake of the Kennedy Center's board voting to add Trump's name to the center.
Snopes readers wrote in and searched the site wondering whether the post about marble armrests was real.
(Truth Social user @realDonaldTrump)
The discussion around the proposed marble armrests came at the heels of a turbulent year for the Kennedy Center.
The board shakeup led to several performers and acts cutting ties and canceling events at the center, including songwriter Ben Folds, Pulitzer Prize-winning folk musician Rhiannon Giddens, comedian Issa Rae and the Tony-winning musical "
In mid-December 2025, about a week before Trump posted about the marble armrests, the Kennedy Center's board voted to add Trump's name to the center, which was created by an act of Congress to serve as a living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy. On Dec. 19, workers added Trump's name to the building's facade.
Former House of Representatives historian Ray Smock told the AP that, because the center was "named by law," legitimately changing its name would require altering the relevant law, which includes a clause preventing the board from installing "additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials."
In the wake of the name change, jazz musician Chuck Redd announced he would cancel the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, a concert that had been held at the Kennedy Center for more than 20 years. Richard Grenell, the center's Trump-appointed President, demanded $1 million in damages for the "political stunt," according to the BBC.