- Democrat Joyce Beatty files lawsuit against Trump.
- Seeks removal of Trump's name from Kennedy Center.
- Action amid rising political tensions nationwide.
The Kennedy Center's board, which Trump filled with supporters, decided last week to rename the performing arts facility the Trump-Kennedy Center.
According to US legislation, Beatty is one of several Democratic congressmen appointed to the board. In her case, she argued that the renaming was unlawful since "an act of Congress" was needed to change the name.
According to the lawsuit, Beatty sought to speak out against the name change during the meeting but was silenced.
Congress wanted the center to serve as a "living memorial" to former President Kennedy, according to Beatty.
"[I]n scenes more reminiscent of authoritarian regimes than the American republic – the sitting President and his handpicked loyalists renamed this storied center after President Trump,"
the lawsuit states.
The White House claimed that Trump had "stepped up" and saved the Kennedy Center "by strengthening its finances, modernizing the building, and ending divisive woke programming" in a statement given to the BBC.
The president's name was put on the building's facade on Friday, and "The Trump Kennedy Center" is now the center's website logo.
"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,"
White House spokesperson Liz Huston said.
Particularly in Washington, DC, where the center has been a famous landmark since it was constructed and named for Kennedy, the name change has drawn strong criticism.
In the 1950s, work on a performing arts center started, and Congress chose to name it in Kennedy's honor following his murder in 1963.
In the 1950s, work on a performing arts center started, and Congress chose to name it in Kennedy's honor following his murder in 1963.
Trump dismissed many of the center's board members shortly after taking office, replacing them with supporters who subsequently voted for him to become chairman. Richard Grenell, a close advisor, was appointed board president.
According to the center's website, the board of trustees now consists of 23 individuals chosen by US law and 34 people appointed by Trump.
Additionally, Trump claimed that the arena was in "bad shape" and obtained roughly $257 million (£190 million) in congressional financing to cover significant upgrades and other expenses.
A number of Kennedy family members criticized the name change on social media.
"The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law,"
according to Joe Kennedy III, the late president's grandnephew and former member of the House.
"It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says,"
he added.
How has the Kennedy Center board defended the renaming?
The Kennedy Center board defended the renaming to the" Trump- Kennedy Center" by claiming an amicable vote honored President Trump's part in securing over$ 250 million in congressional backing for amendments, preventing fiscal ruin and physical decay.
In a statement, the board largely Trump nominees with him as president credited him with restoring the venue's finances, standing, and programming, shifting from what they called unhappy content like drag shows targeting youth to" American" trades.
Spokesperson Mike Leavitt stressed the board's authority as trustees under civil enactment to recognize benefactions, dismissing suits as prejudiced while new signage was installed fleetly post-vote on December 18, 2025.