Ohio lawmaker Joyce Beatty files lawsuit challenging Trump-led Kennedy Center renaming

WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the Board of Trustees of the newly named 'Trump Kennedy Center', initiating a legal battle to strip the president’s name from the national cultural landmark.

In a complaint filed late Monday, December 22, the Ohio lawmaker argued that the board’s hasty decision to rebrand the 'John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' was unlawful, asserting that "only Congress has the power" to change the name of the historic institution.

Joyce Beatty alleges she was 'muted' during vote 

Beatty, who sits on the center’s board as an "ex officio" member, described a chaotic voting process that she claims stifled dissent.

According to the complaint, she was technically "muted" during the virtual proceedings and prevented from voicing her opposition before the measure passed.

The White House had announced the change on Thursday, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declaring on social media that the board voted unanimously "because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building".

Workers were seen installing letters bearing Trump’s name on the exterior signage the very next day, a move Beatty characterized as a "flagrant violation of the rule of law".

Joyce Beatty calls administration’s moves 'authoritarian'

The lawsuit employs blistering language to describe the administration's actions.

"In scenes more reminiscent of authoritarian regimes than the American Republic, the sitting president and his handpicked loyalists renamed this storied center after President Trump," Beatty wrote in the filing.

She contends that the center, designated in 1964 as the "sole living memorial" to the 35th president, cannot be rebranded by executive fiat or board maneuver.

"President Trump and his cronies must not be allowed to trample federal law and bypass Congress to feed his ego," Beatty added in a statement.

Trump's takeover of the Board 

The controversy follows months of restructuring at the institution.

Shortly after returning to office in February, President Trump removed multiple board members and installed himself as chair- a break from tradition that consolidated his control over the cultural hub.

He subsequently appointed longtime ally Richard Grenell as interim executive director. Under the new leadership, the center's aesthetic has also shifted, with the iconic rainbow lights that frequently illuminated the skyline replaced by permanent red, white, and blue fixtures.

Lawsuit seeks immediate restoration 

Filed in the District Court for Washington, DC, in partnership with the Washington Litigation Group and Democracy Defenders Action, the suit demands the immediate restoration of the original name and the removal of Trump’s branding from all insignia.

Neither the White House nor the Kennedy Center immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the litigation.