8 months ago
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House Republicans are pushing to rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House after Melania Trump.
The House Appropriations Committee considered an amendment to an existing bill Tuesday that would call for the theater to be renamed as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.” The measure passed 33-25, The Washington Post reports.
Representative Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho, introduced the proposal as an amendment to a funding bill for the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other related agencies.
“This is an excellent way to recognize [Melania Trump’s] support and commitment to promoting the arts, and I would encourage members to vote for this Republican en bloc amendment,” Simpson said.
Melania serves as the honorary chair of the Kennedy Center. In February, President Donald Trump fired members of the Kennedy Center’s board who were hired by President Joe Biden and replaced them with his picks. The board then elected him as the new chair.
The Trumps attended a Kennedy Center performance of the musical Les Misérables alongside Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance. Multiple cabinet members, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, also attended.
The Trumps were met with both boos and cheers as they entered the theater and took their seats.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
