Republicans push to rename Kennedy Center opera house after Melania Trump

Washington DC - Republicans in the House of Representatives sought Tuesday to rename the opera house in Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after First Lady Melania Trump.

Republicans in the House of Representatives are seeking to rename the opera house at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after Melania Trump. © Jemal COUNTESS / AFP

The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee voted to advance language that would condition funding for Washington's premier cultural institution on the name change as it debated the 2026 budget.

Idaho congressman Mike Simpson, who introduced an amendment to call the venue the "First Lady Melania Trump Opera House," said it was an "excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts."

The move marked the latest front in President Donald Trump's hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center, after he fired board members in February and appointed himself chairman, and replaced its longtime president with ally Richard Grenell.

Trump, who accused the institution of being too "woke," also picked White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, and Second Lady Usha Vance to serve as trustees.

The president was met with cheers and boos at the center in June as he attended an opening night performance of hit musical Les Miserables.

Republicans have been keen to flatter Trump and help the president cement his legacy in his second term, including by introducing legislation to rename the capital region's Dulles International Airport after him.

There have also been efforts in Congress to replace Benjamin Franklin with Trump on the $100 bill, to carve Trump's likeness on the iconic Mount Rushmore, to name a national holiday after him, and to reimagine Washington's Metro train service as the Trump Train.

Simpson: Yes, we renamed the opera house at the Kennedy Center for the First Lady… an excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts pic.twitter.com/JIQBzHeO1F

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 22, 2025

Will the opera house actually be renamed?

The Kennedy Center change was added to legislation principally providing 2026 funding for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency.

But the 2,364-seat theater – the second-largest at the Kennedy Center complex – would only get its new designation if the change was approved by both chambers of Congress.

“Last night, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended opening night for Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center — showcasing the Center’s resurgence and the Trump Administration’s commitment to re-establishing it as the crown jewel of arts and culture in the… pic.twitter.com/BhMZGPwZIj

— The Kennedy Center (@kencen) June 12, 2025

Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, and spending bills require 60 votes to pass, meaning Democrats may be able to strip the name change out of the text before any final vote.