By Molly Claire Goddard
1:32pm PDT, Jul 23, 2025
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Republicans want to rename a historic building after
Melania Trump. Right-wing members of Congress added an amendment to the 2026 Interior-Environment spending bill that would rename the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Opera House in Washington, D.C., after the first lady.
Keep reading to see why conservatives want to honor the former model…MORE:
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Idaho Representative Mike Simpson added the amendment to the 2026 Interior-Environment spending bill that would rename the theater after Melania Trump. "As Chairman of the House Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee — which oversees federal funding for capital repairs and operations and maintenance at the Kennedy Center — I am proud to honor her support and commitment in promoting the arts and humanities," the politician said in a statement. The article within the legislation citing the proposal reads, "Makes technical changes, designates the First Lady Melania Trump Opera House." The bill received a winning vote of 33 to 25 in favor. The renaming of the building may be far off, though, as Congress must also vote on the bill. The facility was named after John F. Kennedy in 1964 following the former Democratic president's assassination.
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In February, Donald Trump named himself chairman of the Kennedy Center following his return to the White House. "Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured drag shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP," he wrote on Truth Social at the time. "The Kennedy Center is an American jewel and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!" According to a report, ticket sales for performances plummeted by 50% in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
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Melania Trump and Donald Trump attended a performance of
Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center in June during which
they were booed by audience members. Members of the cast were given the choice to forgo performing while the commander-in-chief was in the audience. Many actors decided to boycott his attendance. "I couldn't care less, all I do is run the country well," the former reality star
said of the act of protest.
