|
Democratic lawmaker asks judge to take
Trump's name off Kennedy Center
[March 26, 2026]
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker is asking a federal judge
to force the Kennedy Center to block and reverse efforts to attach
President Donald Trump's name to the historic performing arts venue.
In a motion filed Wednesday, Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio argues that
Congress was clear in its intent that the Kennedy Center is named for
the late President John F. Kennedy — and no one else.
|
Mindy Levine, left, listens as Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, talks before
President Donald Trump arrives for a board meeting of the John F.
Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in the East Room of the
White House, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex
Brandon) |
|
“Renaming the Kennedy Center for President Trump — without any
authorization from Congress — undermines the Center’s raison
d’ętre, and frustrates its purpose as the only memorial to
President Kennedy in Washington, D.C.,” the motion argues.
Trump's handpicked board of directors voted in December to
rename the venue as the Trump-Kennedy Center, arguing the
current president deserved the recognition for his efforts to
renovate the institution. But the move immediately drew protest
from Democrats and some in the Kennedy family along with
questions from scholars and historians about whether the move
was legally permissible.
Beatty's motion argues that lawmakers have made clear at various
points throughout the Kennedy Center's history that no other
name should appear on the building.
“Congress was particularly sensitive that no other names appear
on the Center's exterior walls, other than the signage
designating the institution as a memorial for President
Kennedy,” according to the motion.
A day after the board's December decision, Trump's name was
added to Kennedy Center's facade, an iconic part of Washington's
cityscape that rests on the banks of the Potomac River. The name
change has also been reflected on the Kennedy Center's website
and social media channels.
A central part of the capital's arts scene since it opened in
1971, Trump is closing the Kennedy Center this summer for a
renovation that's expected to last for about two years. That is
the subject of a separate legal effort as a coalition of eight
cultural and historic preservation groups is suing to block
further physical changes to the Kennedy Center.
Through her position in Congress, Beatty is an ex officio member
of the Kennedy Center's board. A federal judge ruled earlier
this month that she could participate in a board meeting but
didn't force the board to allow her to vote on the closure.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
|
