Lawsuit challenges the legality of the name change.
Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit to remove President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The board, which Trump recently reshaped with allies, approved renaming the venue the Trump Kennedy Center.
Beatty is one of several Democratic lawmakers who sit on the board under federal law. In her lawsuit, she argues the board acted illegally. She says only Congress can change the center’s name.
Dispute over Kennedy’s legacy
Beatty says Congress intended the center to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
Construction of the performing arts center began in the 1950s. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Congress voted to name the building in his honor.
White House defends decision
The White House rejected the legal challenge and defended the renaming.
In a statement, officials said Trump strengthened the center’s finances, modernized the building, and ended what they described as divisive programming.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston said the board voted unanimously to approve the new name. She called it a historic move that signaled a new era for the institution.
Trump’s name was added to the building.
On Friday, workers added Trump’s name to the exterior of the building. At the same time, the center updated its website logo to read “The Trump Kennedy Center.”
The move drew strong criticism, especially in Washington DC. The center has long stood as one of the city’s most recognizable cultural landmarks.
Artists respond with cancellations.
Musician Chuck Redd canceled his annual Christmas Eve jazz concert in protest. He had performed the show at the center for nearly two decades.
“When I saw the name change online and then on the building, I decided to cancel,” Redd told The Associated Press.
Redd has hosted the Christmas Eve Jazz Jams since 2006. The Kennedy Center website now lists the event as canceled.
Boardshake-up and funding history.
After returning to the office, Trump removed several board members and replaced them with allies. The board later named him chairman. His close adviser Richard Grenell became board president.
The board currently includes 34 members appointed by Trump and 23 members designated by law.
Trump also secured about $257 million in congressional funding for renovations. He said the building was in poor condition.
Kennedy family criticizes the renaming.
Several members of the Kennedy family criticized the change on social media.
Joe Kennedy III said federal law protects the name. He added that the Kennedy Center remains a living memorial.
“It cannot be renamed,” he said. “Just like the Lincoln Memorial.”
