The iconic opera house at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could soon bear a new name: the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House,” if a GOP-led amendment makes it through Congress.
On Tuesday, House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee voted 33–25 to approve a proposal that would rename the Kennedy Center’s second-largest theater in honor of the former first lady. The measure was attached to the annual spending bill covering the Department of the Interior, the environment, and related agencies.
The proposed renaming comes amid a broader Trump-era shakeup at the Kennedy Center. Earlier this year, President Trump made headlines by installing himself as chairman of the board and replacing much of the existing leadership—moves that drew backlash and accusations of politicizing the arts.
Neither the Kennedy Center nor Melania Trump’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.
The opera house, with over 2,300 seats, regularly hosts high-profile dance and opera performances. According to the Kennedy Center, it has “welcomed dozens of the world’s great dance and opera companies and hosted some of the most important artistic events of the last quarter century.”
Trump and the former first lady made a rare public appearance at the center last month, attending opening night of Les Misérables. The attendance was notable, as the couple notably declined to participate in the annual Kennedy Center Honors during Trump’s first term.
It remains unclear when or if House GOP leaders plan to bring the full spending bill—including the Melania Trump amendment—to a floor vote.
