Dem Joyce Beatty accuses Trump-led Kennedy Center Board of letting venue become a ‘lifeless husk’

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, has accused the Donald Trump-led board of allowing the performing arts venue to deteriorate by failing to restore regular programming and operations.

In a new court filing, Beatty’s legal team argued that the board is violating a federal court order by refusing to take steps to maintain the center’s activities. Kennedy Center lawyers rejected that claim, saying the court never required the board to immediately resume canceled performances or schedule new programming.

Joyce Beatty claims the board is refusing to take steps to maintain the Center's operations

The latest filing stems from Beatty’s lawsuit against changes implemented at the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump reshaped the board following his return to office. 

According to court documents filed Friday, June 19, Beatty’s attorneys argued that the current board is ignoring its obligation to preserve the institution as an active performing arts venue. 

The filing contends that the board is “refusing to take any steps to maintain the Center's operations, and will effectively close the Center as a performing arts venue come July 5, 2026.” Beatty's lawyers wrote, “They plan to turn the Kennedy Center into a lifeless husk.” 

The argument centers on a May ruling from US District Judge Christopher Cooper, who blocked plans for a two-year closure of the Kennedy Center for renovations. Cooper also ordered the removal of signage that had added Trump’s name to the building alongside that of former President John F Kennedy. Workers removed the signage earlier this month.

While the judge acknowledged that some programming disruptions could occur during renovation planning, he also wrote that the board “bears an affirmative duty to carry out the Center's programming and maintain a memorial to President Kennedy.”

“It may not simply stop putting on shows altogether,” Cooper wrote in the ruling. Beatty’s attorneys argue that current plans under consideration by the board amount to a failure to comply with that directive.

Kennedy Center says court did not require immediate return of programming

Lawyers representing the Kennedy Center disputed Beatty’s interpretation of the ruling, arguing that the court did not mandate an immediate resumption of performances or educational activities.

“The Court's order did not affirmatively require the Board to reschedule programming that had previously been canceled or to seek new programming,” Kennedy Center attorneys wrote in their response.

According to the filing, the board is still evaluating multiple options for future operations while renovation and financial considerations are reviewed. Those options reportedly include a complete closure, a partial closure that would allow some performances to continue, or a phased repair plan that would gradually restore a full schedule.

The center's management has indicated it will present recommendations to the board before a vote expected in mid-July.

The dispute is the latest development in a broader battle over the future direction of the Kennedy Center that began shortly after the Republican leader took office for a second term in 2025. Trump replaced several trustees, joined the board himself, and was later elected chairman.