U.S. Republicans want to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — the Kennedy Center — after President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, but doing so would be illegal, according to several former board members of the performing arts centre.
Last week, Republicans passed an amendment that aims to rename the Kennedy Center’s second-largest theatre, The Opera House, after Melania Trump as a way to honour her support for the performing arts. The following day, they suggested naming the entire building after the president.
But three previous Kennedy Center board members told NBC News that renaming the historic site would contravene the laws under which it was created.
They say legislation prohibits any part of the Washington D.C.-based facility from undergoing a name change because it’s considered an official memorial to John F. Kennedy, except for the Eisenhower Theater, whose administration approved its construction in 1958, and was honoured with a theatre in its name upon its completion.
Former president Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation making the Kennedy Center a memorial to Kennedy in January 1964, two months after he was assassinated, an answer to calls by his family — who also led efforts to build the centre — to dedicate it to him.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for a showing of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on June 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Craig Hudson / Getty Images
Neither the Kennedy Center’s historical significance nor its legal protections seems to have hindered Republican efforts to rename it.
“First Lady Melania Trump serves as the Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center … naming a theater after her is an excellent way to recognize her appreciation for the arts,” Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, chair of the subcommittee and sponsor of the funding bill under which the amendment is written, said.
Simpson’s subcommittee oversees federal funding for capital repairs, operations and maintenance at the Kennedy Center.
On July 23, Rep. Bob Onder, R-Mo., introduced the “Make Entertainment Great Again Act,” which suggests renaming the entire Kennedy Center the “Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts,” though action has yet to be taken.
“For more than 40 years, President Trump has been a patron of the arts and a staple of the pop-culture landscape. From books and television shows to board games, movies, and more; when it comes to the arts, President Trump’s golden touch has captivated and entertained audiences for decades,” Onder said in a press release.
Onder went on to praise Trump for his plans to rebalance the arts centre’s budget, which were included in the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law on July 4.
“As Chairman of the Kennedy Center board of trustees, President Trump plans to make serious budget changes to rein in the Center’s nearly $72 million debt, driven by past leadership decisions,” Onder said, adding that the Trump administration plans to invest $249.5 million for repairs and restoration along with investments in the operations, maintenance, and security of the building.
President Donald Trump looks down from the Presidential Box in the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as he participates in a guided tour and leads a board meeting on March 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
To proceed with a legal name change, Republicans will have to pass new legislation.
Currently U.S. code states that, “after December 2, 1983, no additional memorials or plaques serving as memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” meaning the Trump administration cannot currently alter anything within the bounds of the law.
Trump met with mixed reaction of boos and cheers at Kennedy Center
“Legally, they can’t just slap her name on it without congressional action,” a spokesperson for Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, told NBC.
“If Republicans can’t pass their budget — which they usually can’t — the Melania Trump renaming provision dies,” the spokesperson added.
“The only real wildcard is whether Trump or his allies ignore the law entirely and try to do it unilaterally. But that would have no legal basis — and would almost certainly trigger a court fight.”
For legislation to pass, it would have to be approved by the Senate, where it would need Democratic support.