Overview
- Rep. Joyce Beatty filed suit in D.C. federal court to declare the Kennedy Center board’s renaming unlawful, void the vote, and remove Trump’s name from the building and digital platforms.
- Beatty, an ex officio trustee, says she was muted during the meeting and blocked from objecting, disputing White House claims that the vote was unanimous.
- The filing argues Congress named the institution by law in 1964 and that statutes bar additional exterior memorials or name changes without new legislation.
- Workers installed new exterior lettering and updated online branding after the board action, as Kennedy Center and White House spokespeople defended the change by crediting Trump with saving the facility.
- Fallout has begun in programming, including cancellation of the long-running Christmas Eve jazz concert, while broader legal and political challenges continue pending the court’s response.