President Trump invokes executive privilege in Kennedy Center legal dispute

President Trump has formally invoked executive privilege to protect communications and documents concerning his role in the Kennedy Center’s management, a move contested by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio. White House deputy counsel Joshua Hoyt told a federal judge that the privilege covers information exchanged between the president, his advisers and Kennedy Center staff about the institution’s operations, fundraising and planned activities.

"I believe that, without the protection of the presidential communications privilege over the communications described above, presidential advisors and their staff members would be chilled from gathering relevant information, exploring alternatives, and providing fully informed recommendations regarding the performance of the President's duties," Hoyt wrote in a declaration.

The Justice Department argued that Beatty’s request amounts to a "fishing expedition" that raises separation-of-powers concerns, emphasizing that executive privilege is not absolute and can be overridden only by a demonstrated need for the information.

The dispute stems from Beatty’s lawsuit challenging the board’s decision to rename the venue the Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts and to close it for two years for renovations. A federal judge previously blocked the closure and ordered the removal of President Trump’s name from the building’s façade.

The president’s assertion of privilege extends to records about the proposed closure, the center’s financial condition, efforts to add his name to the facade and speculation that the building could be demolished. Beatty’s legal team contends that the Justice Department is improperly asserting a blanket privilege and has asked the court to compel the Kennedy Center to produce the requested materials.