Trump turns iconic theater into 'Taj Mahal' for First Lady?

Last week, Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee voted to rename the iconic opera house at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after First Lady Melania Trump.

This is seen by many as reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, which was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved late wife. Accordingly, the move to honor First Lady Melania Trump comes after President Donald Trump reshuffled the leadership of the arts organization in February, dismissing most of the board and appointing himself as chairman.

US First Lady Melania Trump, US President Donald Trump and son Barron Trump

PHOTO: AFP

He replaced the old positions with "loyal" people like White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Second Lady Usha Vance, Allison Lutnick - wife of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham.

The renaming was part of a larger Interior Department spending bill that passed 33-25. The move was proposed by Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, who said "naming the iconic theater after the first lady is a wonderful way to recognize her appreciation for the arts."

Meaningfully, this is an understandable move as Melania Trump is now the honorary chair of the Kennedy Center like previous first ladies. However, what is special is that President Trump "stayed away" from this place during his first term, skipping the annual Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony to honor veteran artists who have made special contributions to the arts.

However, during his second term, he not only visited this place after the leadership reshuffle but also watched the musical Les Misérables here with his wife in mid-June.

The bill still needs to be passed by the full House before it can be voted on by the Senate, but since the start of the second term, many changes tied to the current president's name have been drafted.

For example, Congressman Addison McDowell has proposed renaming Washington Dulles International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport, Texas Congressman Brandon Gill has proposed a measure requiring all $100 bills to be redesigned to feature Trump's image, California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa has announced he will nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, while New York State Representative Claudia Tenney has proposed making Trump's birthday a national holiday.

However, this draft has received mixed reactions. Previously, in the face of the new reforms, the popular touring musical Hamilton decided to cancel its plans to perform at the Kennedy Center. Now the artists and creative team of this play have also announced that they will "stay away" from the Kennedy Center.

Spokespeople for the Kennedy Center and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-bien-nha-hat-bieu-tuong-thanh-taj-mahal-cho-de-nhat-phu-nhan-185250723083102142.htm