Suit asks court to force Trump administration to use 'The Kennedy Center' name
Key Points:
- Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio has filed a motion in federal court to compel President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board to restore the original name, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, after it was renamed "The Trump-Kennedy Center" without congressional approval.
- Beatty's lawsuit argues that the renaming violates the 1964 congressional statute that established the Center as a memorial to President Kennedy, and that the board breached its fiduciary duties by approving the change.
- The Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations expressed confidence that the court will uphold the board's decision and continue with planned renovations, while the White House did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
- The renaming sparked backlash from artists and patrons, leading to withdrawals of scheduled performances by prominent figures like Philip Glass, Stephen Schwartz, and Béla Fleck, as well as the Washington National Opera severing ties due to declining ticket sales.
- Rep. Beatty condemned the name change as an attempt to subvert the Constitution and the rule of law, emphasizing that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center's name.