Even many of President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters wish he would set aside his Grand Canyon-sized ego once in a while. His campaign to put his name on the Kennedy Center is a case in point: The building honors John F. Kennedy, and it doesn’t need another president’s name on its facade — particularly one who is still alive.
During a Sunday interview on CBS News’ Face the Nation, the affable Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said buildings should not be named after living politicians and even called for a rule barring the practice. His remark must have been music to host Margaret Brennan’s ears.
He told Brennan, “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.” Kennedy was referring to a viral 2025 video meme Trump shared that mocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) over their support for illegal aliens by depicting both men wearing sombreros.
He added, “I think that would settle a lot of this controversy. We have that rule in Louisiana. It works pretty well.”
“Well, we’ll watch, Senator, if you introduce that,” Brennan responded.
Kennedy also took issue with a series of taxpayer-funded ads carrying pro-Trump messages that began airing on national television networks last week. (He isn’t alone. The ads have drawn bipartisan scrutiny.) The White House calls the ads “public service announcements.”
CNBC reported:
One of the ads — backed by music that repeats the words “love me” — prominently features images of President Donald Trump while he says, “America will never be a communist country.” Campaign talking points like “largest tax cuts in history” flash over the screen during the spot.
The newest ad, which began airing over the weekend, is titled “This is the final battle.” It can be viewed below.
🚨🚨BREAKING🚨🚨
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP APPEARED IN TAXPAYER-FUNDED ADS DURING THE #NFL GAMES TODAY.
The new White House ad features Trump warning that “THIS IS THE FINAL BATTLE” ahead of the midterm elections.
The ads have sparked major backlash: pic.twitter.com/QSo4NCapon
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) September 28, 2026
Addressing the ads, Brennan reminded Kennedy that he had been “very sharp” during his questioning of then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she’d spent $220 million of taxpayer money on ads intended “to bolster her public image.”
One of the new pro-Trump ads, she noted, “prominently features President Trump, and there’s a voice praising him as, quote, ‘the toughest, most resilient person I ever met.’ And at the end, it says ‘paid for by the U.S. government.’ Is that the best use of taxpayer money?”
“Well, first, as to Secretary Noem, what she did was master class dumb,” Kennedy replied. “She spent $220 million on commercials about her, and I called her out on it.”
He continued:
Number two, I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves. Now, the White House sees it differently, but I don’t. I think 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: “I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves … 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… pic.twitter.com/xcHkbwuY9Y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 27, 2026
Citing advertising intelligence company AdImpact, CNBC reported on Sunday that the government has spent $920,000 so far on the latest ad. While that’s a far cry from the $220 million allegedly spent by Noem, the question remains: Should administrations be allowed to use taxpayer funds for partisan messages?
I’m with Kennedy on this one. If a Democratic administration used taxpayer money for ads like these, I’d be the first to call it out.
Kennedy has defended Trump through plenty of controversies, but he’s applying the same standard to the president that he applied to Noem. Trump is free to promote his record and his reelection agenda, but taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for ads that look and sound like campaign commercials.
Regarding Trump’s incessant need to see his name displayed on high-profile buildings, he should let the Kennedy Center continue to honor the president for whom it was named.
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