Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a move that would add former President Donald Trump’s name to the institution.
The lawsuit follows a recent vote by the Kennedy Center’s board – which includes Trump appointees – to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center.
Beatty, one of several Democratic lawmakers designated as board members by law, argues the renaming is unlawful, asserting that any name change requires Congressional approval.
The suit alleges that Beatty was muted during the meeting when she attempted to voice her opposition to the name change.
Beatty contends that Congress intended the center to serve as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy.
The lawsuit characterizes the renaming as reminiscent of “authoritarian regimes,” stating that “the sitting President and his handpicked loyalists renamed this storied center after President Trump.”
In a statement to the BBC, the White House claimed Trump “stepped up” to rescue the Kennedy Center by “strengthening its finances, modernizing the building, and ending divisive woke programming.”
White House spokesperson Liz Huston stated, “As a result, the Board of the Kennedy Center voted unanimously to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center — a historic move that marks a new era of success, prestige, and restored grandeur for one of America’s most iconic cultural institutions.”
President Trump’s name has already been added to the building’s exterior, and the center’s website logo now reflects “The Trump Kennedy Center.”
The renaming has drawn considerable criticism, particularly in Washington D.C., where the Kennedy Center has been a landmark since its construction and dedication to President Kennedy.
In protest of the renaming, musician Chuck Redd cancelled his annual Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a tradition spanning nearly two decades.
Redd told The Associated Press on Wednesday, “When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.”
Redd has hosted the annual Christmas Eve “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center since 2006, succeeding bassist William “Keter” Betts.
The Kennedy Center’s website currently lists the show as cancelled.
Construction on the performing arts center began in the 1950s, and following President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Congress designated the center in his honor.
Shortly after assuming office, Trump replaced several board members with allies, who then voted to appoint him as chairman. Richard Grenell, a close advisor, became board president.
According to the center’s website, the board of trustees comprises 34 members appointed by Trump and 23 others designated as members by US law.
Trump also secured approximately $257 million in congressional funding for renovations and other expenses, citing the venue’s state of disrepair.
Members of the Kennedy family have also voiced their criticism of the name change on social media.
Joe Kennedy III, a former House member and President Kennedy’s grandnephew, stated that “the Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law.”
He added, “It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”
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