Jimmy Fallon takes aim at Trump’s Kennedy Center rebrand

Jimmy Fallon has found plenty of material in President Donald Trump’s latest naming ideas. From calling Lake Ontario “Lake America” to floating “New America” for New Mexico, Trump’s recent moves have given the late-night host a long list of unusual headlines to turn into jokes.

The comedy took another turn when Trump’s effort to add his name to the Kennedy Center ran into a federal judge. The center’s board later voted to close the institution for renovations, giving Fallon another opening for his monologue.

With Trump’s naming proposals continuing to make headlines, Fallon has turned several of them into recurring late-night material. Here’s a look at the moves behind the jokes and how The Tonight Show turned them into comedy.

Trump’s naming efforts become late-night material

President Trump has made several naming decisions and proposals involving U.S. places in recent months. The efforts include an executive order directing federal agencies to use “Lake America” for Lake Ontario and a suggestion to rename New Mexico “New America.”

Trump shared a map labeling New Mexico as “New America” on September 6. Jimmy Fallon later used the Lake America order and New Mexico proposal as material for jokes on The Tonight Show, before turning to the Kennedy Center naming dispute.

Trump directs federal agencies to use Lake America

On August 27, President Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. The order gave the Interior Department and the Board on Geographic Names 30 days to take appropriate steps toward the change.

The order directs federal agencies to use Lake America in maps, contracts, documents, and other communications and calls for the Geographic Names Information System to be updated. The lake borders New York and the Canadian province of Ontario, but the U.S. order does not require Canadian authorities to adopt the name.

New Mexico faces a proposed name change

On September 6, Trump shared a map on social media showing New Mexico labeled “New America.” The map showed “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America.” The White House also shared the image on X.

Trump does not have unilateral authority to rename New Mexico. The state’s name is established in its constitution, and changing it would require a state constitutional amendment. Trump later shared additional maps using “New America,” and Fallon used the proposal as material on The Tonight Show.

Fallon imagines new names for other states

Jimmy Fallon used Trump’s New Mexico proposal as the basis for a parody during his September 8 Tonight Show monologue. A Trump impersonator announced exaggerated new names for several states.

New Hampshire became “New Trumpshire,” Maryland became “Melanialand,” and Kentucky became “Kid-Rocky.” The bit also joked that Alabama could become “Ala-I Don’t Like O-Bama” and renamed Texas “Ella Langley Land.” Fallon continued with additional jokes about other states, including Rhode Island.

Kennedy Center renovation plans hit a legal wall

Trump also pushed hard to add his own name to the Kennedy Center building. A federal judge formally blocked that plan during a court hearing in September. The ruling stopped the board from officially adding his name to the structure.

Following the court ruling, the Kennedy Center board voted to close the center for renovations. Reports also said the center was facing financial challenges in 2026.

The board’s decision came as the center dealt with changes to its leadership and programming. The closure is expected to affect performances and other activities during the renovation period.

Fallon compares the Kennedy Center to failed casinos

Jimmy Fallon addressed the Kennedy Center news during his September 16 monologue. He joked about the venue closing without Trump’s name being added to it. Fallon then referenced several casinos associated with Trump that later closed.

Fallon pointed out that some of those casinos had carried Trump’s name before shutting down. He used that history as part of his joke about the Kennedy Center.

Fallon also joked about the Kennedy Center continuing to be known by its existing name. His comments focused on the dispute over the proposed name change and the center’s planned closure for renovations.

TL;DR

• Trump renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America in an August order.
• He floated the idea of renaming New Mexico to New America over Labor Day weekend.
• A federal judge blocked his push to rename the Kennedy Center.
• Jimmy Fallon has mocked each move on The Tonight Show.
• Trump then announced the Kennedy Center would shut down entirely.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.