A former South Park writer orchestrated what might be one of the longest setup pranks in recent political memory, purchasing web domains for the Trump-Kennedy Center months before the White House announced its controversial renaming plans.
Toby Morton, who penned episodes for the irreverent animated series from 2001 to 2003 and even provided the voice for the notorious character Scott Tenorman, secured both trumpkennedycenter.org and trumpkennedycenter.com back in August. His prescient move came after observing early signs that President Trump planned to dramatically reshape the venerable Washington arts institution.
“As soon as Trump began gutting the Kennedy Center board earlier this year, I thought, ‘Yep, that name’s going on the building,'” Morton explained in an interview to The Washington Post. “The rest followed on schedule,” he added, referring to December’s official renaming announcement.
For Morton, snatching up politically charged domain names has become something of a signature activism strategy. The writer regularly transforms these web addresses into satirical sites targeting political figures from both parties. His Instagram biography boldly declares him “Creator of Anti-Fascists Websites.”
Among his current portfolio are sites focused on Nancy Mace’s 2026 South Carolina gubernatorial campaign and a potential Senate run by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Morton doesn’t limit his mockery to Republicans, either. He also operates sites criticizing Democrats he views as inadequate in opposing Trump, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. One such site reads: “I’ve spent years perfecting the art of bowing, not to the people who elected me, but to the ones who bought the room.”
The writer sometimes extends his activism beyond the digital realm, purchasing billboard space to amplify his messages. These physical campaigns receive funding from both Morton’s personal resources and small contributions from supporters.
Morton views the Kennedy Center’s transformation as particularly ripe for commentary. “The Kennedy Center has always been a cultural institution meant to outlast any one administration or personality. It’s meant to honor culture, not ego. Once it was treated like personal branding, satire became unavoidable,” he said.
While the Trump-Kennedy domains remain undeveloped for now, Morton promised they won’t stay dormant forever. “It’ll absolutely reflect the absurdity of the moment. Lots of surprises. Some things are truly hard to parody, though.”
So far, neither the Trump administration nor any intermediaries have contacted Morton about acquiring the domain names.
The center’s name change has sparked considerable controversy since the announcement. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, with Congress passing legislation the following year establishing the center as his living memorial. The original law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from memorializing anyone else or adding another person’s name to the building’s exterior.
Former House historian Ray Smock joined several legal experts in arguing that any such changes require Congressional approval. Members of the Kennedy family, including Kerry Kennedy, the former president’s niece, have expressed strong opposition to the modification.
Trump addressed reporters about the change, saying he was “surprised” the board voted for the renaming and felt “honored” by their decision. However, he had telegraphed the move earlier in December by already referring to the venue as the Trump Kennedy Center.
The president largely ignored the Kennedy Center during his first term but has taken an intensely hands-on approach during his current administration. He removed existing leadership, restructured the board while positioning himself to lead it, and personally hosted this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, departing from longstanding tradition where presidents typically attend as observers rather than hosts.
These changes align with Trump’s broader initiative to counter what he characterizes as “woke” culture at federally funded cultural institutions. The renovation plans have prompted several prominent artists to cancel scheduled performances, including Issa Rae, Peter Wolf, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who pulled a planned Hamilton production.
Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi defended the renaming during a radio appearance, stating it follows “the precedent of the State Department adding President Trump’s name to the Institute of Peace. And the previous Administration renaming military bases.”
Daravi emphasized that “the Kennedy Memorial is not impacted at all by this name addition,” arguing the change restores the center’s original bipartisan character, noting it was created by President Eisenhower before being dedicated to Kennedy following his passing.
