Deadline Poet / August 12, 2025

Republicans Look to Rename the Kennedy Center Opera House After Melania Trump

—Headline, The New York Times

Calvin Trillin
Donald Trump and Melania Trump
President Donald Trump and Melania Trump walk on the White House lawn on December 23.(Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images)

The sycophant caucus is quick to encourage
Rebranding by Trump that’s been truly Homeric.
So sooner or later we may get to see
The Statue of Liberty newly named Eric.

Become a Sustaining Donor This September

Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

We must have an independent media that sets the record straight, unearths corruption and abuses of power, and advances a politics of justice and dignity for all if we’re to win this fight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. This September, The Nation needs to add 100 monthly donors to sustain our progressive journalism. Your contribution makes the next investigative report, the next truth-speaking column, and the next pathbreaking essay all possible. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a recurring donation today. If you donate $10 or more a month, we’ll send you a brand new “Hands Off the Free Press!” sticker to recognise your commitment to our cause. Please, donate today. 

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”

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