Congress‑Required Lawsuit Challenges Trump‑Kennedy Center Renaming After Board Vote
Updated (8 articles)
Board Unanimously Votes to Add Trump’s Name The Trump‑appointed trustees voted unanimously on Dec 18, 2025 to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” and changed the exterior signage the next day [7][8][2][5][4]. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed the decision as a historic boost to the center’s finances and prestige [7]. The new name appears on the building, tickets and the center’s website as of Dec 19 [5][4].
Legal Statutes Require Congressional Action for Renaming Federal law enacted in 1964 designated the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and a 1983 amendment barred additional memorials, meaning only Congress can amend the name [2][3][6][7][8]. Legal scholars cited on CNN and AP say the board lacks authority to alter the memorial’s title, and Democrats argue the vote violated procedural rules [2][6]. Rep. Joyce Beatty and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have called the action unlawful and urged congressional legislation [6][7].
Trump’s Board Overhaul Secured $250 Million Renovation Funding After taking office in January 2025, Trump replaced most board members, installed allies such as Richard Grenell, and became chairman [1][7][5]. He leveraged the new board to obtain more than $250 million in federal funding for renovations and upgrades [1][6]. The administration claims the funding will make the center financially self‑sustaining and elevate its national stature [1][5].
Kennedy Family and Arts Community Launch Protests and Cancellations Kennedy relatives—including Kerry Kennedy, Joe Kennedy III, Jack Schlossberg and Maria Shriver—publicly condemned the rename as a violation of the memorial’s purpose [2][5][6][7][8]. Performers and productions such as “Hamilton,” Issa Rae and Rhiannon Giddens withdrew, and subscription sales fell after the vote [6][7]. Protesters confronted workers during the Dec 19 signage installation, and the White House’s praise was met with sharp criticism from cultural leaders [5][8].
Rep. Joyce Beatty Files Lawsuit to Remove Trump Name On Dec 25 2025 Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty filed a suit demanding the Trump name be stripped, arguing the board’s action is illegal without an act of Congress [1]. Beatty said she was muted during the board meeting and that the vote was not truly unanimous [1][3]. The lawsuit seeks to preserve the Kennedy Center as a living memorial solely to President John F. Kennedy.
Sources
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1.
BBC: Lawmaker Sues to Remove Trump's Name From Kennedy Center: Details Rep. Joyce Beatty’s Dec 25 lawsuit, the board’s unanimous vote, and Trump’s $257 million renovation funding .
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2.
AP: Kennedy Center adds Trump’s name to Kennedy memorial after board vote: Reports the rapid addition of Trump’s name on Dec 19, the legal prohibition on board renaming, and Kerry Kennedy’s vow to remove the name after Trump’s term .
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3.
CNN: Trump’s bulldozer view of laws tests the Kennedy Center: Analyzes the legal framework, cites Beatty’s claim of being muted, and frames the rename as part of a broader executive‑power mindset .
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4.
AP: Kennedy Center adds Trump's name to building after board voted to rename: Provides a photo gallery of the Dec 19 signage work, mentions security presence and a protester interaction .
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5.
CNN: Kennedy Center renames to include Trump's name with new signage installed: Confirms the new signage, notes uncertainty over legality, and includes criticism from Maria Shriver and Trump’s fundraising remarks .
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6.
AP: Trump‑Kennedy Center Renaming Vote Sparks Legal and Cultural Pushback: Highlights congressional authority, $250 million funding, Democratic objections, pending legislation, and arts‑community cancellations .
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7.
BBC: Kennedy Center board votes to rename to Trump‑Kennedy Center, prompting legal and political debate: Covers the unanimous board vote, Trump’s board reshaping, legal challenges, and fallout in ticket sales and staff resignations .
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8.
CNN: Kennedy Center Board Renames Institution After Trump and Kennedy: Summarizes the unanimous vote, legal doubts, family objections, Trump’s board overhaul, and White House praise .
Timeline
1964 – Congress passes the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Act, designating the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President Kennedy and prohibiting name changes without congressional action [2][5].
Dec 2, 1983 – President Ronald Reagan signs an amendment that bars any additional memorials at the Kennedy Center, reinforcing the 1964 law’s restrictions [3][5].
Jan 2025 – President Trump returns to office, secures over $250 million in congressional funding for Kennedy Center renovations, and begins replacing the board, installing allies like Richard Grenell and appointing himself chairman [2][5][8].
July 2025 – Rep. Bob Order (R‑MO) introduces a House bill to formally rename the venue the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts, but the Transportation Committee has not yet acted [8].
Dec 18, 2025 – The Trump‑appointed board of trustees votes unanimously to rename the institution “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” a decision Trump calls “surprising and an honor” in the Oval Office, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praises the “truly great team” outcome; Rep. Joyce Beatty reports she is muted during the vote, and Kennedy family members—including Joe Kennedy III and Maria Shriver—decry the change as a violation of the memorial’s purpose [2][5][8].
Dec 19, 2025 – Workers install new signage bearing Trump’s name on the building’s exterior, covering the old lettering with tarps; National Guard troops and security personnel monitor the site as a protester is confronted, and the center’s website and social media update to the new title, with the wall now reading “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” [4][6][7].
Dec 19, 2025 – CNN legal analyst Elie Honig notes the administration’s “bulldozer mentality,” saying officials act as if “the president cannot be limited by statutes,” while Georgetown Law professor David Super warns, “There is absolutely no way they can do this legally,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries counters, “Only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center” [3][8].
Dec 24, 2025 – Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty files a lawsuit demanding Congress repeal the renaming, arguing the board lacks authority under the 1964 law; the White House responds by lauding the rename as a historic move that strengthens finances and credits Trump with modernization, while Kennedy relatives, including Joe Kennedy III, label the center a “living memorial” that “cannot be renamed” [1][2].
Dec 25, 2025 – Musician Chuck Redd cancels his annual Christmas Eve concert in protest, and other artists such as Lin‑Manuel Miranda and Issa Rae withdraw from scheduled performances, contributing to a dip in ticket sales [2][8].
Future (post‑2025 term) – Kerry Kennedy announces she will remove Trump’s name from the building after his presidential term ends, framing the effort as a “future cleanup,” while the pending House bill remains stalled, leaving the legal status of the rename uncertain [6][8].
External resources (7 links)
- https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter3/subchapter5&edition=prelim (cited 2 times)
- https://www.congress.gov/88/statute/STATUTE-78/STATUTE-78-Pg4.pdf (cited 1 times)
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/76j (cited 1 times)
- https://julianzelizer.substack.com/p/the-trump-kennedy-center (cited 1 times)
- https://www.instagram.com/p/DSak_VfETad/?hl=en&img_index=2 (cited 1 times)
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(cited 1 times)
- https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-press-gaggle-peoples-house-august-22-2025/#25 (cited 1 times)