Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO) has introduced the Make Entertainment Great Again (MEGA) Act to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts the Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts, honoring President Trump, whom Onder described as “the most significant cultural icon in the past 40 years.”
A press release detailing the bill praised Trump’s decades-long influence on American culture: “For more than 40 years, President Trump has been a patron of the arts and a staple of the pop-culture landscape. From books and television shows to board games, movies, and more; when it comes to the arts, President Trump’s golden touch has captivated and entertained audiences for decades.”
The announcement highlights Trump’s success in capturing American and British audiences alike through The Apprentice, which ran for 15 seasons, as well as its spinoff, The Celebrity Apprentice. Trump also made memorable appearances in pop-culture favorites The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and remains the only U.S. president to have hosted Saturday Night Live not once but twice.
Since assuming the role of chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, Trump has, according to the release, “been working to preserve the integrity [of] the fine arts by ending woke programming and rebalancing the Kennedy Center’s $234 million budget.” It adds that he “plans to make serious budget changes to reign in the Center’s nearly $72 million debt driven by past leadership decisions.”
Onder also voted for $256.7 million in funding for the Kennedy Center as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including $249.5 million dedicated to capital repairs, restoration, operations, maintenance, and security enhancements.
“You would be hard pressed to find a more significant cultural icon in the past 40 years than President Trump,” said Onder. “President Trump’s love and mastery of entertainment has stood the test of time and allowed him to capture Americans’ attention for decades.”
“I cannot think of a more ubiquitous symbol of American exceptionalism in the arts, entertainment, and popular culture at large than President Trump,” he added.
The MEGA Act builds on the growing momentum among conservatives to reform the Kennedy Center and reclaim it from left-wing influence. In June, the House Appropriations Committee approved a measure by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) to rename the Opera House in honor of first lady Melania Trump, who serves as honorary chair of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees.
Under Trump’s leadership, the Kennedy Center has eliminated drag shows targeting children, dismantled its “Social Impact” department, dismissed former president Deborah Rutter, and embraced faith- and family-friendly performances. That includes a sold-out screening of Angel Studios’ The King of Kings, with Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell promising more values-driven programming ahead.
Left-wing celebrities and Democrat lawmakers have responded with outrage. The New Yorker quoted Broadway star Patti LuPone as saying the ‘Trumpified’ Kennedy Center ‘should get blown up.’ Furthermore, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Jeffrey Seller pulled their production from the venue. During a recent performance of his favorite musical, Les Misérables, actors reportedly dropped out in protest over President Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s attendance, while inside the venue, drag queens staged a demonstration against the First Family.
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