Congress Files Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Proposed Kennedy Center Renaming

A Democratic member of Congress has 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.”

Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and an ex officio trustee of the Kennedy Center, brought the suit after the center’s board of trustees voted to add President Donald Trump’s name to the venue.

In her lawsuit filing, Beatty argued that the board exceeded its authority under Congress. “Because Congress named the center by statute, changing the Kennedy Center’s name requires an act of Congress,” she stated, calling the board’s vote a “flagrant violation of the rule of law.”

The lawsuit describes the virtual board meeting at which the vote took place as a “thinly veiled sham,” citing Beatty’s allegation that she and others who opposed the change were prevented from unmuting themselves during the session.

Beatty reiterated her claim on social media that she was muted on Zoom when attempting to object. She further stated that the vote and the subsequent placement of Trump’s name on the building reminded her more of authoritarian regimes than of the American republic.

The renaming effort drew immediate backlash from members of the Kennedy family. Kerry Kennedy, daughter of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, threatened to “grab a pickax” to remove Trump’s name from the building by a specific date.

Additionally, Trump has faced criticism from Democrats for using naming initiatives to cement his legacy, including plans to name new classes of warships after himself.

Navy Secretary John Phelan referred to the latest nuclear-capable vessels as “Trump-class battleships,” with the first set to be named the USS Defiant.