President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, has criticized a proposal by House Republicans to rename the Kennedy Center Opera House after First Lady Melania Trump, citing a federal law he says prohibits such changes.
On July 22, 2025, the House Appropriations Committee, led by Republican lawmakers, voted 33-25 to advance an amendment to designate the Kennedy Center’s second-largest theater as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.” The proposal was introduced by Representative Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho, as part of a spending bill for the Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency.
In response, Schlossberg posted on Instagram on July 23, 2025, accusing President Trump of being fixated on surpassing his grandfather’s legacy. The Harvard Law School graduate argued that the Trump Administration embodies freedom of oppression rather than freedom of expression, accusing the president of using his powers to suppress free speech and create fear.
Schlossberg also highlighted a federal statute from December 2, 1983, in a separate Instagram post, stating that “no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” He declared: “Plain reading of the statute makes clear — YOU CAN’T DO THAT.”
The Kennedy Center, established in 1964 as a living memorial to President Kennedy, started construction that year and opened in 1971. Public Law 88-260 designated the performing arts center as an interactive memorial for the late president, explaining the statutory prohibition against additional memorials within the facility.
Earlier this year, President Trump dismissed most of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees and appointed his supporters as replacements. He later requested the newly appointed board members to elect him as chairman of the institution, a move that has drawn criticism from many in the arts community who oppose the president’s involvement in the cultural center.
Representative Simpson defended his amendment, stating he wanted to honor Melania Trump for her role as Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center. Simpson, who chairs the House committee overseeing federal funding for the Kennedy Center’s capital repairs and operations, described naming a theater after the first lady as a fitting way to recognize her appreciation for the arts.
In his Instagram statement, Schlossberg emphasized his grandfather’s dedication to the arts as a means of promoting civil rights and resisting authoritarian governments. He noted that President Kennedy faced political criticism for inviting Black artists to the White House, including the Staples Singers, and for supporting performers like Harry Belafonte and James Baldwin on global tours.
The Kennedy Center controversy surfaced amid Schlossberg’s unrelated dispute with producer Ryan Murphy over an upcoming FX series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Murphy mentioned on a podcast that he found it unusual for Schlossberg to be upset about a relative he does not remember. Schlossberg responded on social media, detailing his earliest memories of his uncle (his mother’s brother) calling him “Jackolatern” and picking him up from school in his Pontiac convertible.
Schlossberg recalled serving as ring bearer at Kennedy Jr.’s wedding and remembered the day his uncle died in the 1999 plane crash. He criticized Murphy for profiting from his uncle’s story without contributing to the causes Kennedy Jr. supported or his legacy of public service.
In a social media post on July 24, 2025, Schlossberg offered President Trump a proposal regarding the Kennedy Center naming issue. He suggested that if Trump releases files related to Jeffrey Epstein, he would assist the president in achieving what Schlossberg described as Trump’s lifelong goal of changing the Kennedy Center’s name.
The amendment to rename the Opera House requires further approval from the full House and Senate before becoming law. The proposal is expected to reach the House floor for a vote when Congress returns from the August recess in September 2025.
Representative Greg Casar, a progressive Democrat from Texas, criticized the Republican initiative as emblematic of misguided priorities, noting that 17 million people face potential health care losses while Republicans focus on renaming the Kennedy Center Opera House.
President Trump and Melania Trump attended a performance of “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy Center in early June 2025. Their appearance drew mixed reactions from the audience, with both cheers and boos greeting the first couple. Several cast members boycotted the performance in protest of the Trumps’ presence.
