Tonight’s Melania premiere is sure to piss you off

The Melania movie premiere is just another chapter in the Trump regime’s ongoing grift—gaudy spectacle dressed up as culture, designed to keep the brand in the spotlight while democratic norms are chipped away. For DC residents, the cost is immediate and familiar. Today’s traffic restrictions, which will run from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM, will snarl streets, disrupt commutes, delay workers getting home, and hurt local businesses—all so a private vanity project can take center stage. This is what it looks like when power treats the District as a backdrop instead of a community: public space and civic infrastructure sacrificed for ego and profit. It’s tacky. It’s transactional. And it’s corrosive to democracy. And for the record, I will never call the Kennedy Center the “Trump Kennedy Center.” Our public institutions belong to the people of this city and this country—they are not branding opportunities, and they are not for sale.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, several special events will be hosted at the Trump Kennedy Center in the District of Columbia. In conjunction with this event, there will be parking restrictions and street closures that motorists should take into consideration:

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., the following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking:

  • Virginia Avenue from 24th Street to Rock Creek Parkway

  • F Street from Rock Creek Parkway to 25th Street, NW

  • Jamal Kashoggi Way from Virginia Avenue to F Street, NW

  • 25th Street, NW from Virginia Avenue to F Street, NW

  • Thompson Boat Center Parking Lot

  • Parkway Drive, NW

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., the following street will be closed to vehicle traffic:

  • Rock Creek Parkway from Virginia Avenue to Potomac River Freeway, SW

  • F Street from Rock Creek Parkway to 25th Street, NW

  • 25th Street, NW from Virginia Avenue to F Street, NW

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., the following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic, except for local traffic (residents, deliveries, or attendees to the events at the Trump Kennedy Center):

  • Jamal Kashoggi Way from Virginia Avenue to F Street, NW

  • 27th Street from K Street to Virginia Avenue, NW

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, beginning at 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., the following streets may be closed to vehicle traffic. The decision to close these streets will be based upon traffic volume and/or public safety. If the decision to close these streets are made, local traffic (residents, deliveries, or attendees to the events at Trump Kennedy Center will still be allowed entry:

  • Virginia Avenue from 22nd Street to Rock Creek Parkway, NW

  • 24th Street from K Street to Virginia Avenue, NW

  • New Hampshire Avenue from Washington Circle to Virginia Avenue, NW

  • I Street from 23rd Street to 26th Street, NW

  • H Street from 23rd Street to New Hampshire Avenue, NW

  • G Street from 23rd Street to Virginia Avenue, NW

  • Exit to I Street from northbound Potomac River Freeway

For timely traffic information, please visit x.com/DCPoliceTraffic.

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