Months after President Donald Trump cleaned house at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a group of GOP lawmakers is seeking a name change to honor the first lady.
A bill funding the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other related agencies has a provision added by House Republicans that seeks to change the name of the Kennedy Center’s Opera House to the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
“The House Appropriations Committee adopted it as part of an amendment in a 33-25 vote and reported the legislation out of committee in a 33-28 vote. It would next head to the full House for a vote,” NBC News reported.
— Congressman Mike Simpson (@CongMikeSimpson) July 22, 2025
“First Lady Melania Trump serves as the Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. “Naming a theater after her is an excellent way to recognize her appreciation for the arts.”
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) said the approps amendment renaming the opera house within the Kennedy Center to the Melania Trump Opera House came from his heart.
“She supports the arts,” Simpson said “She’s the honorary chairman. Seemed like the right thing to do.”
— Samantha Handler (@sn_handler) July 22, 2025
The opera house is the second-largest theater at the Kennedy Center, with over 2,300 seats. The president and first lady attended the opening night performance of “Les Misérables” at the arts complex last month.
“Over the years, the Opera House has welcomed dozens of the world’s great dance and opera companies and has hosted some of the most important artistic events of the last quarter century,” according to the Kennedy Center.
NEW @DC_Reporter:#ID02’s @CongMikeSimpson wants to rename @kencen’s Opera House after @FLOTUS @MELANIATRUMP https://t.co/dCy64Vgodd pic.twitter.com/phdemakrCg
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) July 22, 2025
The proposed amendment will likely face an uphill battle in the Senate as funding bills need the support of Democrats to pass. Democrats complained about the name change provision being tucked into the funding bill.
“The Republicans snuck in, I think, something that is slightly divisive, which is renaming one section of the Kennedy Center after a family member of this administration,” Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) said in a subcommittee hearing, according to ABC News.
“The Republicans have now given the president six times the normal amount of money to run the Kennedy Center, carte blanche over who will be on the board, and how different parts of the Kennedy Center — perhaps the whole Kennedy Center itself — will be named, and this amendment confirms that,” Pingree said.
But Trump supporters on social media applauded the proposal and believe the first lady deserves the honor.
JUST IN: House Republicans have just ADVANCED a proposal to rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House”
The opera house is one of the DC venue’s major theaters.
I love it. Melania absolutely deserves this. pic.twitter.com/AOtj2r4jhI
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 22, 2025
Darn right she does.
The amount of disrespect she’s endured over the years from the fake news alone makes her deserve this.
Not to mention all her accomplishments.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 22, 2025
So it’s just the opera house, NOT renaming the Center as I’d seen earlier. This would be a beautiful gesture.
— CielleLouise (@Found_GenX) July 23, 2025
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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