A Democratic member of Congress has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the recent decision by the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to add President Donald Trump’s name to the iconic cultural institution. Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex-officio member of the board, filed the complaint Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The suit argues that the board exceeded its authority by approving the change without congressional consent.
“Because Congress named the center by statute, changing the Kennedy Center’s name requires an act of Congress,” the lawsuit says, according to The Washington Post.
The legal challenge follows a vote last week by the board to rebrand the venue as the Trump Kennedy Center. New exterior signage bearing the president’s name was installed the following day, according to the filing.
Beatty’s complaint also details procedural objections. She alleges that during the virtual board meeting she was allowed to speak earlier but was prevented from voicing opposition when the renaming proposal came up, receiving notice that she would remain muted and unable to participate further.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was created by an act of Congress in 1964 as a national memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination. Its statutory name is explicitly set in federal law.
Legal scholars have raised similar concerns. Roger Colinvaux, a law professor at Catholic University, previously told reporters that the statute leaves little room for interpretation. “Under the statute, the board that voted to change the name not only does not have the authority, but that each member by so voting violated their duty,” he said.
Supporters of the change have pushed back. Richard Grenell, the center’s president, has defended the decision in online posts, describing it as a reflection of the institution’s bipartisan character. He has argued that the move does not alter the existing memorial to Kennedy and therefore falls within the board’s discretion.
Members of the Kennedy family have responded sharply. Maria Shriver, a niece of the late president, wrote on social media:
The Kennedy Center was named after my uncle, President John F Kennedy. It was named in his honor. He was a man who was interested in the arts, interested in culture, interested in education, language, history. He brought the arts into the White House, and he and my Aunt Jackie… pic.twitter.com/wcGjTp2uqa
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) December 18, 2025
The lawsuit arrives amid broader turbulence at the institution. Upon taking over the role, Grenell reported that The Kennedy Center was rife with fraud and in need of major repairs.
The Kennedy Center has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
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