Senator Bernie Sanders isn't mincing words about President Donald Trump's habit of putting his name on federal buildings. The Vermont independent called it dangerous, narcissistic, and most importantly—illegal. Now he's doing something about it.

The Self-Naming Controversy

On Tuesday, Sanders posted a video clip on X where he laid out his concerns. "Of the many crises facing this country, what worries me the most is Trump moving America toward an authoritarian society, more and more power in his own hands," he said. The Kennedy Center renaming was his prime example, which he noted "is not only outrageous, it is illegal."

Sanders' new bill would make it explicitly unlawful for any sitting president to name federal buildings after themselves. It's a response to what he sees as self-aggrandizing behavior that crosses legal lines. "For Trump to put his name on the Kennedy Center and other federal buildings is not only arrogant and narcissistic, it is illegal," Sanders wrote. "We must put an end to sitting presidents naming buildings after themselves—and that's what my bill does."

Legal Battles Over Cultural Landmarks

The controversy started heating up after Trump's handpicked board renamed the iconic venue the "Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) responded by filing a lawsuit. Similar moves at the United States Institute of Peace, where Trump's name was also added despite ongoing court challenges, drew sharp criticism from lawyers who called it an "insult."

Last December, Trump served as "Master of Ceremony" for the Kennedy Center Honors, even joking that if viewers liked his hosting gig, he might leave the presidency to do it full-time. He celebrated honorees including Sylvester Stallone, KISS, George Strait, and Gloria Gaynor.

The fallout has been swift and financial. The Kennedy Center demanded $1 million from musician Chuck Redd after he canceled his Jazz Jam performance following the renaming. Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell called the cancellation "classic intolerance," though critics see it as legitimate protest against the controversial rebranding of cultural institutions.