Sen.John Kennedy, R-La., said on Sunday that living public officials should not have buildings named after them and proposed a rule to prohibit such renaming efforts.This comes as President Donald Trump continues to push to rename the Kennedy Center after himself.
The president has also sought to rename other prominent federal buildings in Washington, D.C., after himself since returning to the White House last year.Kennedy said public officials, including Trump, should not "spend public money on private ads for themselves.""The White House sees it differently, but … you can’t spend public money to … promote yourself," Kennedy told host Margaret Brennan during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation."KENNEDY CENTER CEILING PARTIALLY COLLAPSES AS TRUMP-LED BOARD PUSHES FOR 2-YEAR CLOSURESen.John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Kennedy's comments came as a new ad promoting Trump appeared on multiple networks, that was funded by the federal government.The senator then suggested public officials should be barred from having a building named after them while they are still alive."I may end up with a sombrero on my head, but I also think we ought to have a rule that no politician can have a building named after him when he’s alive," he said, referring to Trump mocking Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., last year by sharing AI videos of the lawmakers wearing sombreros.FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP'S NAME REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER, SAYS ONLY CONGRESS CAN RENAME ITPeople watch construction workers build scaffolding near the Donald J.Trump and John F.
Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, D.C., on June 12, 2026.The Kennedy Center board sought an emergency appeal to block a court order requiring the removal of President Trump's n...