Senator Kennedy Proposes Rule Against Naming Buildings After Living Politicians

<p>Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, stated on Sunday that living public officials should not have buildings named after them and proposed a rule to prohibit such renaming efforts.</p><p>This statement follows President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to rename the Kennedy Center after himself, as well as other prominent federal buildings in Washington, D.C., since his return to the White House last year.</p><p>Kennedy expressed that public officials, including Trump, should not "spend public money on private ads for themselves."</p><p>"The White House sees it differently, but … you can’t spend public money to … promote yourself," Kennedy told Margaret Brennan during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation."</p><p>Kennedy's remarks coincided with the airing of a new advertisement promoting Trump, which was funded by the federal government.</p><p>The senator suggested that a rule should be established to prevent public officials from having buildings named after them while they are still alive. He remarked, "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," referencing Trump's previous mockery of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.</p><p>Trump has attempted to rename several buildings after himself, including the Kennedy Center, but federal judges have blocked multiple attempts by the center's board, which was appointed by Trump, to add his name to the building.</p><p>Although Trump's name was briefly added to the building's facade, it was ordered removed after courts ruled that only Congress has the authority to change the center's name.</p><p>Additionally, the State Department added Trump's name to the U.S. Institute of Peace last year, but former officials removed by the Trump administration filed a court motion earlier this month to prevent construction crews from putting the president’s name on the building's exterior.</p><p>Trump has also expressed a desire to have New York's Penn Station and Dulles Airport named after him as a condition for a funding deal earlier this year.</p><p>Furthermore, he proposed a project to construct a promenade connecting the back of the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River, suggesting that allies wanted to name it the "Trump Promenade." He stated, "They want to call it the Trump Promenade, but I don't know if I want to do that, but it's going to be beautiful."</p>