House Republicans Push to Rename Kennedy Center Opera House After Melania Trump

The Kennedy Center Opera House, one of the most iconic cultural venues in Washington D.C., could soon bear a new name — one honoring First Lady Melania Trump.

On Tuesday, July 22, the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee voted 33-25 in favor of an amendment to rename the venue’s second-largest performance space as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.” If approved by the full House and signed into law, it would mark the first time a Kennedy Center stage has ever been renamed.

The measure is currently included in a broader spending bill set to fund the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies for the next fiscal year. A final vote by the House will likely be delayed, as lawmakers prepare for a summer recess.

Traditionally, first ladies serve as honorary chairs of the Kennedy Center. However, this proposal comes on the heels of Donald Trump’s takeover of the institution earlier this year, which included sweeping leadership changes and significant cuts to programming he deemed “woke.” Since then, the Trumps have made only one high-profile appearance at the center, attending the opening night of Les Misérables, one of his favorite musicals.