Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove President Donald Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Last week, the board of the Kennedy Center - filled with Trump allies - voted to rename the performing arts centre as the Trump-Kennedy Center.
Beatty, a designated board member by US law, claimed the renaming was illegal as it necessitates an act of Congress. She asserts that she called into the meeting during the name change but was muted when attempting to voice her opposition.
In her lawsuit, Beatty cites that Congress intended for the centre to be a living memorial to JFK. She criticized the decision, stating, [I]n scenes more reminiscent of authoritarian regimes than the American republic – the sitting President and his handpicked loyalists renamed this storied center after President Trump.
The White House responded, defending Trump's contributions to the Kennedy Center, stating that he had saved the institution by strengthening finances and modernizing its facilities. They argued that the board's unanimous vote to rename the center symbolized a new era of success for this iconic institution.
The swift renaming of the Kennedy Center has drawn significant backlash, particularly within Washington DC, where the venue has long been a celebrated landmark.
Construction began on the center in the 1950s, and after John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963, it was named in his honor through Congress. Since taking office, Trump has made several changes to the board, replacing many members with allies and becoming chairman himself.
Members of the Kennedy family, including Joe Kennedy III, have publicly criticized the name change, emphasizing that it should not be renamed by anyone outside of Congress, similar to the Lincoln Memorial.
