House Republicans voted Tuesday to rename the opera house at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after first lady Melania Trump.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) announced on social media, "Yes, we renamed the opera house at the Kennedy Center for the First Lady who is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees for The Kennedy Center. This is an excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts."
Scripps News Nathanial Reed added context to the renaming, writing, "Buried in amendments to the Interior Dept. Gov funding bill, is a stipulation that the Kennedy Center Opera House must be renamed the 'First Lady Melania Trump Opera House' in order to receive federal funds. The Appropriations Committee adopted that amendment by a vote of 33-25."
The fiirst lady and President Donald Trump recently attended the opening night of the musical "Les Misérables" at the opera house, receiving both cheers and boos from the crowd.
In the spring, the president created an uproar when he named himself chairman of the board of directors.
When taking over the Kennedy Center, Trump claimed that he had eliminated DEI and “brought back family-friendly programming that will attract large audiences once again.”
However, notable artists like maestro cellist Yo-Yo Ma announced he was parting ways with the center, while stars of the musical "Hamilton" boycotted their run at the Kennedy Center.
According to a June report in The New York Times, "Single-ticket sales were down roughly 50 percent in April and May, compared with the same period in 2024, according to the data. Subscriptions, traditionally an important source of revenue, have also declined significantly this season: Revenue was down 82 percent for theater and 57 percent for dance. At the National Symphony Orchestra, one of the Kennedy Center’s flagship ensembles, subscriptions declined by 28 percent, the data showed. At Washington National Opera, subscriptions were down 25 percent."
