Congressional Actions Against Trump Administration's Kennedy Center Renaming

Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center's board, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the recent decision to rename the Kennedy Center.

According to NBC4 Washington, Beatty argues that the renaming requires an act of Congress, as the original name was established through legislation. She describes the attempt to rename it to the Trump-Kennedy Center as reminiscent of authoritarian regimes, asserting that it violates the rule of law and undermines the constitutional order.

The lawsuit claims that during a board meeting where the vote took place, Beatty was muted and unable to participate, and consequently, the board falsely declared the vote as unanimous. Beatty seeks a federal court ruling to affirm the center's legal name as the John F.

Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts and to declare the renaming vote null and void. The White House has not responded to the lawsuit as of the latest reports. The board, which was appointed by Trump, voted to change the name, and Trump’s name was subsequently affixed to the center’s facade.

Many Democratic lawmakers and the Kennedy family have publicly opposed this renaming effort, questioning its legality, as reported by Axios and the New York Times.