US House Republicans have moved to rename the opera house at Washington’s JohnF.Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts after First LadyMelaniaTrump, further stamping the Trump brand on America’s cultural landscape.

In a move during a Tuesday hearing on the 2026 budget, the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee advanced a proposal to rechristen the 2,364-seat venue as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”

Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson, who introduced the amendment, described it as “an excellent way to recognise her support and commitment to promoting the arts.”

The name change was tucked into a broader funding bill for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency — and is the latest flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s increasingly aggressive campaign to reshape the Kennedy Centre in his own image, reports AFP.

Earlier this year, Trump fired several board members, installed himself as chairman, and replaced the long-serving president with loyalist Richard Grenell. He also appointed chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief Dan Scavino, and Second Lady Usha Vance as trustees.

Trump, who has accused the centre of being “too woke,” is eager to put his stamp on one of the capital’s most revered cultural landmarks.

In June, Trump drew a mix of cheers and boos during his appearance at an opening-night performance of the musical Les Misrables.

This opera house renaming push is part of a broader Republican effort to lionise Trump’s legacy in his second term. Other proposals include renaming Dulles International Airport after him, putting his face on the $100 bill, adding him to Mount Rushmore, establishing a Trump national holiday, and rebranding Washington’s Metro as the “Trump Train.”

However, any such change must pass both chambers of Congress, and with Democrats in a strong enough position to block provisions in the Senate — where 60 votes are needed for spending bills — the final fate of any change remains uncertain.

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With inputs from AFP