Republican members of the Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to a spending bill that would rename the venue after the first lady.

After U.S. House Republicans moved to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after first lady Melania Trump on July 22, 2025, a rumor spread that Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President Kennedy, slammed the effort in an Instagram post.

House Republicans voted to rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House after Melania Trump, sparking partisan debate and scrutiny over proposed arts funding cuts.