The Kennedy Center’s famed opera house could be renamed to honor Melania Trump, if House Republicans have their way.
House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the interior, environment and related agencies annual spending bill that would rename the opera house in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
The panel voted 33-25 on Tuesday to approve the amendment, which was part of a series of others.
The push to pay homage to the first lady came months after President Trump, in an unprecedented move that was met with some criticism, overhauled the Kennedy Center’s board and named himself as its chair after accusing the performing arts institution of being too “woke.”
Both the president and Melania Trump — who bucked tradition during his first term in office and declined to take part in the annual Kennedy Center Honors — attended the opening night performance of “Les Misérables” at the Washington arts hub last month.
Neither representatives for the Kennedy Center nor the first lady’s office immediately responded to ITK’s request for comment about the opera house’s potential name change.
It remains unclear when GOP leaders plan to put the legislation, with the amendment, on the floor for a vote of the full chamber.
With more than 2,300 seats, the opera house is the second-largest theater at the Kennedy Center and often hosts its headline performances.
“Over the years, the Opera House has welcomed dozens of the world’s great dance and opera companies and has hosted some of the most important artistic events of the last quarter century,” according to the Kennedy Center.
—Mychael Schnell contributed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
