WASHINGTON — There go his chances of having the Kennedy Center dedicated to him anytime soon.
One-liner whiz Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) called for a new rule to ensure that politicians can’t have a building named after them until they are dead.
“You can’t spend public money to promote yourself,” Kennedy told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday when asked about President Trump’s use of government dollars for a politically tinged ad campaign.
“I also think that we ought to have a rule that no politician can have a building named after him while he’s alive,” he added.
“I think that would settle a lot of this controversy.”
Trump and his team have moved to rechristen multiple federal buildings after himself, similar to his tactics during his days as a real estate mogul.
This includes renaming the Institute of Peace as the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace last year, and attempting to rebrand America’s cultural center, the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts — which has been snarled by the courts so far.
Kennedy, the current senator, is not related to the late president.
Amid a judge blocking him from rebranding the Kennedy Center, Trump appears to have flirted with demolishing the complex altogether, though his allies have pointed to structural damage in the building as part of the rationale.
Additionally, Florida Republicans renamed the airport nearest to his swanky Palm Beach resort, the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Beyond just buildings, America’s first-ever sixth-generation fighter jet is named Boeing F-47, in a nod to him being the 47th president, and last year, he unveiled plans for a Trump-class battleship.
Several GOP lawmakers have unveiled legislation to splash Trump’s image or name on key symbols, such as the $100 bill.
Earlier this year, Kennedy’s fellow Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) lost his primary race to Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) after Trump backed her due to his frustration that he backed the second impeachment against him.
Undeterred, Kennedy hasn’t been shy about splitting from the administration every now and then.
His tough questioning of former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s use of federal money to pay for ads featuring herself is thought to have been a factor in Trump’s decision to fire her.
Over the weekend, Trump was seen in a new ad paid for by the US government that was eerily reminiscent of one that his 2024 campaign ran.
Under the pretense of it being a public service announcement, Trump is depicted in the ad calling for demolishing “the deep state,” vowing to “throw off the sick political class that hates our country,” and describing a “final battle.”
Critics have pointed to the proximity of the ad campaign, estimated to cost some $1.7 million so far, to the midterm elections.
“The White House sees it differently, but there ought to be a rule that you can’t — well, there probably is a rule — you can’t spend public money to promote yourself,” Kennedy added.
“I may end up with a sombrero on my head,” Kennedy said in a likely reference to Trump’s team mocking Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in a viral meme last year. “I also think that we ought to have a rule.”
