Washington, D.C. A Democratic member of Congress filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the Trump administration from renaming the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” arguing the move violates federal law and exceeds the authority of the venue’s governing board.
Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, filed the suit in federal court against President Donald Trump, Kennedy Center executive director Ric Grenell, and other board members. The lawsuit contends that because Congress formally named the Kennedy Center through statute, any change to its name requires congressional approval, not a board vote.
The administration moved quickly to implement the change, adding Trump’s name to exterior signage last week shortly after the board approved the renaming. Democrats say the process was rushed and improper. Beatty’s lawsuit describes the virtual board meeting as a “thinly-veiled sham,” alleging that members who opposed the change were prevented from speaking during the vote.
The suit asks the court to declare the board’s action unlawful, nullify the vote, and order the removal of any newly installed signage. It also seeks to block future attempts to rename the center without congressional authorization.
The White House has so far declined to comment on the lawsuit. Legal experts say the case could test the limits of executive influence over federally chartered cultural institutions and clarify whether the Kennedy Center’s name can be altered without congressional action.
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