JFK Grandson Criticizes GOP Plans Rename Kennedy Center Opera House Melania Trump

Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, has strongly opposed a House Republican proposal to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House after First Lady Melania Trump, citing a 1983 federal law that prohibits additional memorials within the center. Schlossberg condemned the effort as an affront to his grandfather's legacy and values, accusing the Trump administration of suppressing free expression and using the renaming as a political vanity project rather than an honor to the arts. The proposal, championed by Rep. Mike Simpson, who praised Melania Trump's support for the arts, comes after President Trump took control of the Kennedy Center's board and appointed himself chairman. Schlossberg emphasized that the Kennedy Center was established as a living memorial to JFK and stressed that attempts to rename its opera house would undermine its original purpose. He warned that President Trump seeks to overshadow JFK's legacy, but expressed hope that art and history would endure beyond political maneuvers. The initiative is expected to be voted on by the full House after the August recess.