House Republicans Propose Renaming Kennedy Center, Facing Legal and Family Opposition

House Republicans have proposed legislation to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its opera house after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, respectively. However, this effort faces legal challenges because a 1983 federal statute explicitly prohibits renaming or adding memorial plaques to the center, except for the Eisenhower Theater. Prominent members of the Kennedy family, including JFK's niece Maria Shriver and his grandson Jack Schlossberg, have vocally opposed the proposals, describing them as petty and an erasure of JFK's legacy. Missouri Republican Rep. Bob Onder introduced the 'Make Entertainment Great Again Act' to rename the entire center after Trump, arguing that Trump is a significant cultural icon with a long-standing entertainment career. The move follows President Trump's earlier actions to overhaul the Kennedy Center's board and programming. Democrats and some Republicans emphasize that the renaming provisions would likely fail without full congressional approval, and there is concern about potential unilateral actions disregarding the law.