- The Trump-dominated board voted to rename the venue 'The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts' last year.
- District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled that the memorial can only be named after John F. Kennedy, blocking the renaming.
- Despite the court order, the board voted again to add Trump's name.
- Rep. Joyce Beatty filed an emergency motion to block the board's vote, calling it a 'breathtaking act of defiance.'
- The Justice Department and Beatty's lawyers returned to court, where Beatty's lawyer accused the administration of 'courting a constitutional crisis for one man's vanity.'
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the Justice Department's argument that the building is structurally unsound without Trump's fundraising.
- The board's actions have been described as a delusional assault on the rule of law.
- Scaffolding and a massive white tarp were erected to strip the metal name plates from the facade, leaving only partial visibility of Kennedy's name.
- The board's proposed changes could lead to a new name for the building that includes Trump's name and a significant endowment.
- The board also voted to name the area where the building stands as President Donald J. Trump Plaza.
The Justice Department has declared the Kennedy Center structurally unsound unless Donald Trump is permitted to raise funds for its renovation, a claim that has sparked a legal battle led by Rep. Joyce Beatty. The board's recent vote to proceed with naming rights despite a federal court order has been labeled a “breathtaking assault on the rule of law” by Beatty's legal team.456
On Thursday, Beatty's lawyers returned to court, arguing that the Trump-dominated board is attempting to flout judicial authority. “In plain English, Defendants have not-so-subtly said: ‘What a nice Kennedy Center you have here. What a shame should something happen to it,’” they stated. This defiance comes after a federal judge ruled that the memorial should only honor John F. Kennedy and cannot bear any other name based on Trump's unilateral decisions.12
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended Trump, asserting that the president's involvement as “construction manager” is crucial for the multi-million dollar renovation project. He emphasized that without proper funding, the building risks falling into disrepair, stating, “It’ll just run out of money… until at some point, a building that was built in 1964 that isn't renovated does eventually get torn down.”
The board's controversial plans include adding Trump's name to the venue and renaming the surrounding area to “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.” Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Lutnick insists that Trump's promise to raise funds will incentivize the renovation and naming process.10
“The board voted to add 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump' under Kennedy's name and rename the plaza 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza.' Lutnick called Trump 'the greatest builder in the world,' insisting the president's fundraising promise will 'entice' him to follow through.”
The Independent
