House Republicans vote to rename Kennedy Center opera house after Melania Trump

David Matthews, New York Daily News on Jul 22, 2025

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Congressional Republicans are moving forward with a plan to rename the Kennedy Center opera house after Melania Trump.

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson added an amendment to the Interior-Environment spending bill that most of the center’s funding for the 2026 fiscal year would be contingent on changing the name to the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”

The Appropriations Committee voted 33-25 to approve the amendment. The bill will still need to go to a vote in the House and pass in the Senate before a Sept. 30 deadline.

“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 (Melania Trump’s) support and commitment in promoting the arts and humanities,” Simpson said in a statement.

President Trump took over as the center’s chair in February, ousting longtime board members and installing allies on the board and as trustees.

The Trumps both attended the opening night performance of “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy Center last month, where they were met by boos from the audience.

The opera house, the second-largest venue at the Kennedy Center, is the site of the annual Kennedy Center Honors, the nation’s highest award for lifetime achievement in the arts.

The Trumps did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors during his first term.

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