New law to ban Trump's name on federal buildings
On December 18, 2025, the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees approved renaming the institution the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts." In response to this move, Democratic Congresswoman April McClain Delaney introduced two bills.
The first of these repeals the approved renaming and orders the removal of Trump's name, while the second prohibits the naming of federal buildings, land or other property after sitting presidents. A parallel proposal has also been introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Newsweek reports.
The arguments of the proposal's supporters rely on the need to preserve historical neutrality and congressional oversight of public institutions.
The criticized decision has sparked a debate over the board's powers and the powers of Congress. The legal merits of the decision have also been questioned - a lawsuit has been filed claiming that the renaming is invalid without congressional approval.
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