Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, took to Instagram to criticize the proposed renaming of the Kennedy Center’s renowned opera house to the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
The proposal passed with a 33-25 vote on July 22nd, as the House Republican subcommittee voted on the routine annual $37.2 million funding for the center, effective October 1.
Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) praised the first lady and called the proposal an “excellent way to recognize [Melania Trump’s] support and commitment to promoting the arts.”
Meanwhile, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) criticized the changes as another opportunity for the Trump administration to exert more control over the Kennedy Center with minimal oversight.
Pingree spoke against her Republican colleagues:
“The Republicans snuck in, I think, something that is slightly divisive, which is renaming one section of the Kennedy Center after a family member of this administration.”
The vote comes after Congress's earlier agreement to allocate $256.7 million for Kennedy Center improvements by 2029 as part of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. The House and Senate have not yet taken the final step to approve the spending bill before it goes to the White House for signature.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower led the first fundraising effort in 1959, and JFK brought together Jacqueline Kennedy, Roger L. Stevens, and Mamie Eisenhower, the former First Lady, to plan and develop a cultural center in Washington, D.C. The inaugural performance took place on September 5th, 1971, featuring Leonard Bernstein’s Mass at the Kennedy Center Opera House.
In a viral Instagram post, Jack Schlossberg criticized the proposal as merely another attempt to erase his family’s legacy in the arts, stating that “Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK.”
In the caption of a photo carousel featuring JFK hosting artists, dignitaries, and honorees at The White House, Schlossberg quoted his grandfather’s famous speech on October 26th, 1963, at Amherst College:
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces — but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers."
Schlossberg added:
"JFK believed the arts made our country great and could be our most effective weapon in the fight for civil rights and against authoritarian governments around the world.”
The quote is from John F. Kennedy’s honorary speech dedicated to Robert Frost at the groundbreaking of the library named after the renowned American poet, who died in January of the same year. The speech at Amherst was JFK’s last major address before he was assassinated on November 22 in Dallas, Texas.
Schlossberg also wrote about his grandfather inviting Black artists, actors, civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and freedom fighters such as Pablo Casals to the White House.
So, what does he make of the Trump presidency?
Schlossberg wrote to his 700K followers:
“The Trump Administration stands for freedom of oppression, not expression. He uses his awesome powers to suppress free expression and instill fear. But this isn’t about the arts.”
During the first month of his second term, Trump removed the leadership of the art institution, fired Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter, and, of course, appointed himself as Kennedy Center Board Chair.
The president’s sudden takeover of the Kennedy Center upset the theatre and music communities, leading to cancellations of Broadway's Hamilton and performances by actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens.
Calling out Trump’s attempt to minimize the “heroes of our past,” Schlossberg wrapped up his post with words of hope:
“Art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for.”
Well said, sir!
You can view his Instagram post below:
This isn't the first time Donald Trump has tried to leverage the Kennedy name to protect his ego.
In March, when Trump released classified documents related to JFK’s assassination, Schlossberg criticized the president for using his grandfather’s name as a “political prop” or a distraction from the administration’s wrongdoings.
Calling the president “obsessed,” Schlossberg posted a thread on X (formerly Twitter):
The proposal to rename the Kennedy Center also comes during a period of political upheaval in the Trump administration, as the president looks for anything to distract from ongoing investigations into his connections with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
And the internet seems to have caught on to Trump’s latest distraction tactic:
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The son of former U.S. ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Jack Schlossberg is active on social media, calling out (and trolling) the Trump Administration and his cousin, Department of Human and Health Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
You can listen to his grandfather’s speech at Amherst College below:
