President Donald Trump’s effort to put his name back on the Kennedy Center is heading toward another courtroom showdown, after a Democratic member of the center’s board moved to block the plan.
U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty said she intends to ask a federal judge to stop the Kennedy Center from adding Trump’s name to its facade, arguing that the board is disregarding an earlier ruling that said only Congress has the authority to rename the Washington landmark.
In a court filing, Beatty accused the board of acting in “naked defiance” of the court’s previous decision. She asked for further proceedings that could lead to an order preventing the proposed signage from being installed, potentially as soon as September 8.
The Kennedy Center board voted 20-3 on August 13 to change the wording on the building to read: “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”
The board also voted to name the surrounding grounds the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza” and approved a two-year closure of the center as part of an extensive renovation effort.
Beatty argues that adding descriptions such as “Restored and Renovated by” or “Endowed by” does not give the board legal authority to attach Trump’s name to a memorial created specifically to honor President John F. Kennedy.
Trump administration officials rejected Beatty’s position, saying the record would ultimately demonstrate that the board acted responsibly.
The dispute is the latest chapter in a battle that began after the Kennedy Center board, whose membership includes Trump appointees, previously altered the center’s signage to feature Trump’s name alongside Kennedy’s.
Beatty challenged that decision in court. In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the board had exceeded its authority by effectively renaming the institution.
While the board has broad power over the center’s day-to-day operations, Cooper said its authority did not extend to changing the name established by Congress. Only Congress, he ruled, could make such a change.
Trump’s name was subsequently removed from the building’s white marble exterior in June. A large tarp has covered the affected section since then. In July, a federal appeals court rejected the administration’s attempt to keep Trump’s name displayed while the case continued.
The administration has maintained that the tarp and scaffolding are connected to structural work and water testing involving a roof overhang.
Beatty’s side disputes that explanation, describing it as a pretext and arguing that the measures are being used to undermine the earlier court order requiring the center to return to its status as a memorial honoring Kennedy.
The fight over the Kennedy Center is unfolding as Trump pursues a broader effort to remake parts of Washington. His administration has also faced legal resistance over a proposed $400 million ballroom project at the White House, with an appeals court recently ordering construction to stop.
The latest Kennedy Center filing now puts the question of Trump’s name back before the courts, with the September deadline potentially setting the stage for another legal confrontation.
