A history of presidents naming things after themselves (It's short. They rarely do)

While Trump pushes to get his name on the Kennedy Center and other public sites, history shows that sitting presidents have almost always avoided putting their brands on government assets.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5201x3468+0+0/resize/5201x3468!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa0%2F6f%2F4eab16a14ebcbb3eb000e7c5609e%2Fgettyimages-2280581273.jpg' alt='In December 2025, President Trump's name was added to the exterior of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Less than six months later, it was removed, following a judge's ruling that only Congress can change the name of the performing arts complex, which was established as a "living memorial" to John F. Kennedy. Above, workers stand on scaffolding outside the Kennedy Center in June.'/><p>While Trump pushes to get his name on the Kennedy Center and other public sites, history shows that sitting presidents have almost always avoided putting their brands on government assets.</p><p>(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5986321' />