Kennedy Center Board, Under Trump’s Control, Sued for Defying Court Order to Resume Public Programs
Rep. Joyce Beatty accuses the Trump-led Kennedy Center board of contempt for refusing to restart performances, defying a federal judge’s order, while the board drags its feet on reopening.
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Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and ex officio board member, has filed a lawsuit exposing the Kennedy Center’s board—now dominated by Trump loyalists—for blatantly ignoring a May 2024 court order that requires the venue to maintain its vital programming for the public. Beatty’s legal action highlights that the board, chaired by former President Donald Trump, has taken no meaningful steps to resume shows, risking the effective closure of this important cultural institution by July 5, 2026.
The lawsuit points to a U.S. District Court ruling by Judge Christopher Cooper, who courageously blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations and ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the building, a symbol of resistance to authoritarian overreach. While the order did not demand an immediate restart of all performances, it made clear the board has an "affirmative duty" to carry out programming and preserve the Kennedy Center as a memorial to President Kennedy’s legacy of public service and the arts.
Kennedy Center attorneys, echoing the board’s obstructionist stance, argue that the court’s order does not require them to reschedule previously cancelled events or secure new programming. Instead, the management team claims to be preparing recommendations for reopening, cynically floating options that include a full closure with no programming or a phased repair plan that would only eventually restore a full schedule. A vote on these options—none of which guarantee the immediate return of public performances—is expected in mid-July.
This dispute traces back to the undemocratic changes made to the center’s governance after Trump’s second inauguration in February 2025, when he purged several trustees, installed himself as a board member, and was later elected chair. The board then ousted the center’s former president and stripped voting rights from 23 ex officio members, disproportionately targeting Democrats and consolidating right-wing control.
Fox News Digital sought comment from the Kennedy Center and the White House but, unsurprisingly, received no response.
