𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗗𝗬 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔

 

Move over Gregory Peck, Bruce Springstein, Roberta Flack and Al Green.  The MAGA crowd has different tastes: Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, Lee Greenwood and 50 Cent.

There's even a push by a Republican congressman   to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Perform

Representative Bob Onder of Missouri introduced a bill last week that would change the name of the iconic cultural institution in Washington, D.C., to the “Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts.” The bill, titled the “Make Entertainment Great Again Act,” is a nod to Trump’s well-known campaign slogan. Onder called Trump “a patron of the arts and a staple of the pop-culture landscape,” saying his influence has shaped American entertainment for decades.

The proposal comes alongside another effort from Republicans to rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House in honor of First Lady Melania Trump. That measure, introduced by Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho, passed the House Appropriations Committee by a 33, 25 vote and is now part of a broader funding bill for the Interior Department. Simpson described the renaming as a tribute to Melania Trump’s commitment to the arts. 

These efforts have drawn criticism from Democrats and legal experts, who point out that the Kennedy Center was established by law as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and that the legislation strictly limits additional memorials or name changes. According to U.S. code, no further plaques or dedications can be installed after 1983 without new legislation. Former board members told NBC News that the law clearly prohibits renaming the facility, with the exception of the Eisenhower Theater, which honors the president whose administration first authorized the center’s construction.

Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Kennedy Center, said Republicans cannot legally rename parts of the center without going through Congress. “If Republicans can’t pass their budget, which they usually can’t, the Melania Trump renaming provision dies,” a spokesperson from her office said. Attempting to make changes unilaterally, the spokesperson warned, would be illegal and could lead to a court battle.

The Kennedy Center, which includes the Opera House, the Concert Hall, and several other performance spaces, is known for hosting high-profile events such as the annual Kennedy Center Honors. The Opera House alone seats more than 2,000 people and serves as a symbol of national cultural achievement.

Last month, Trump and the First Lady attended a performance of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center alongside Vice President JD Vance and other cabinet officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The appearance drew a mixed reaction from the audience, with cheers and boos, while drag performers protested outside.

Critics, including Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, accused Trump of trying to rewrite history for personal glorification. “Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him,” Schlossberg said.

President Trump has recently taken a more active role in the arts scene in recent months, firing several Kennedy Center board members appointed by President Joe Biden and naming himself the center’s chairman, a move without precedent. He replaced the longtime president of the institution, Deborah Rutter, and its board chair, billionaire donor David Rubenstein, with loyalists including Ric Grenell, a former ambassador and Trump ally. Trump wrote online that Grenell would help usher in a “GOLDEN AGE of American Arts and Culture” and eliminate what he called “ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”

Although both renaming efforts still face significant legislative hurdles, they reflect a broader attempt by Trump allies to reshape key cultural institutions in line with the President’s political and personal legacy.