Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is sharply criticizing a House Republican proposal. The measure seeks to rename the Kennedy Center’s famous Opera House in honor of Melania Trump. Schlossberg voiced his strong objections on social media.
Schlossberg Quotes JFK, Slams Trump Administration
Schlossberg calls proposed renaming a political maneuver, not an arts tribute.
- Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s grandson, opposes renaming the Kennedy Center Opera House for Melania Trump.
- Schlossberg quoted his grandfather, emphasizing the arts’ importance.
- He accused the Trump administration of suppressing free expression.
- House Republicans approved the renaming amendment on Tuesday.
“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces — but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers,” Schlossberg wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. He invoked his grandfather’s words to make his point.
Schlossberg, a vocal critic of President Trump, stated, “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.” He added, “The Trump administration stands for freedom of oppression, not expression.”
The 32-year-old, son of former U.S. ambassador Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, further asserted, “[Trump] uses his awesome powers to suppress free expression and instill fear.”
His social media post followed the House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee approving an amendment. This amendment to the annual spending bill would rename the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho supported the move. He called it “an excellent way to recognize [Melania Trump’s] support and commitment to promoting the arts.”
This renaming effort emerged after President Trump, deeming the Kennedy Center too “woke,” overhauled its board in February. He subsequently named himself its chair.
However, Schlossberg argued that the potential name change was not about the arts. “Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him. It doesn’t,” he stated.
Schlossberg ended his message to his nearly 700,000 followers on a hopeful note. “But there’s hope,” he wrote. “Art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for.”
