Lawyers for two lawsuits urged a U.S. district judge this week to halt plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years of renovations. The suits target President Trump and the center's board, citing lack of congressional approval and unauthorized changes to the building. Representative Joyce Beatty also seeks removal of Trump's name from the venue.
Hearings took place this week before U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., for two separate lawsuits against President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board. The cases aim to stop the planned two-year closure for renovations funded by $257 million approved by Congress for repairs, restoration, maintenance, and security. The funds must be spent by 2029, according to Matt Floca, the center's executive director and chief operating officer, who testified to severe issues like water damage, outdated electrical systems, and degraded concrete, calling them safety concerns and recommending closure during work. Floca said a comprehensive renovation plan is in development for submission to Congress, and the center's exterior will not change, though Trump has described it as creating a 'new and spectacular Entertainment Complex.' Plaintiffs do not dispute the need for repairs but argue no plan has been submitted to Congress, unlike past maintenance that kept the center open. Attorney Abbe Lowell, representing preservation and architecture groups including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, invoked 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,' referencing Trump's demolition of the White House East Wing without congressional approval despite promises it would not interfere. Floca said there are 'no active plans' to demolish the Kennedy Center but acknowledged Trump's involvement in all renovation aspects. Already, changes include adding Trump's name to the facade, painting gold columns white, and removing weeping willow trees on the plaza. Less than two months into his second term, Trump replaced the center's leadership and board members with loyalists, who made him board chair and added his name to the building, legally a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio trustee, argues this violates a statute banning additional memorials after December 2, 1983. Her attorney, Norm Eisen, called the addition a flouting of the center's founding purpose. Government lawyer Brantley Mayers countered that it is an 'acknowledgment' to Trump, not a memorial. Artists have canceled performances and ticket sales have declined since the name change.
