President
In a complaint filed late Monday in federal court, US Representative
The board — with Trump self-appointed as chairman and a group of his supporters serving as trustees —
Democrats and members of the Kennedy family — although not Trump’s Health Secretary
The move is the latest in an aggressive effort by Trump and his allies to overhaul the nation’s capital in his image, including by tearing down the East Wing of the White House in order to build an oversized ballroom, renaming the US Institute of Peace after the president and moving to seize control of the city’s municipal golf courses. On Monday, Trump
The Kennedy Center Honors will air Tuesday, which was taped earlier this month. Trump hosted the event and was heavily involved in selecting the honorees, which include actor
Earlier:
Beatty’s suit recounts the history of the center. In the early 1960s, then-President Kennedy pushed for the building of what was originally to be called the National Cultural Center. After he was assassinated in 1963, Congress renamed the center in his honor.
“Congress intended the center to be a living memorial to President Kennedy — and a crown jewel of the arts for all Americans, irrespective of party,” according to the suit. “Because Congress named the center by statute, changing the Kennedy Center’s name requires an act of Congress.”
Roma Daravi, a spokesperson for the center, said in a statement that Trump raised more than $131 million in private and corporate donations and had Congress give $257 million for critical infrastructure needs, “all to SAVE this institution.”
“After years of neglect by Democrats, President Trump stepped up and saved the old Kennedy Center by strengthening its finances, modernizing the building, and ending divisive woke programming,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement.
Beatty sued in her capacity as an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board. She said in the suit that the name change was voted on without notice at a “sham” meeting held at a Trump supporter’s home. Beatty said she joined the meeting virtually but when she tried to object to the renaming, she was muted.
“The entire board was invited to attend in person and the privilege of listening in on the meeting was granted to all members, even those without a vote, such as ex-officio member Joyce Beatty,” Daravi said.
Since Trump took over the center in February, ticket sales have plunged and a number of artists have refused to perform there.
Among the Kennedy Center board members named in the suit are Secretary of State
The suit is Beatty v. Trump, 1:25-cv-04480, US District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).
(Updates with details on Kennedy Center honors and White House statement.)
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