Dem who sued to remove Trump's name from Kennedy Center now says venue becoming 'lifeless husk' in fresh fight
Those in charge at the Kennedy Center have been accused by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, of purposely allowing the Washington, D.C., venue to languish into a "lifeless husk" by not...
By Fox News · Fox News
Those in charge at the Kennedy Center have been accused by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, of purposely allowing the Washington, D.C., venue to languish into a "lifeless husk" by not resuming regular shows and programming. Beatty, an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, initially filed the lawsuit against President Donald Trump in December 2025, when the board decided to install signage displaying his name alongside Kennedy's on the building. According to a Friday court filing, Beatty's legal team argued that the current board, with Trump as chairman, is in violation of a May court order by "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." "They plan to turn the Kennedy Center into a lifeless husk," Beatty's lawyers wrote. JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE WILL KEEP LAWYERS BUSY FOR YEARS Lawyers for the Kennedy Center responded by saying: "The Court’s order did not affirmatively require the Board to reschedule programming that had previously been cancelled or to seek new programming." Fox News Digital reached out to the Kennedy Center and the White House for additional comment. The order from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper prevented the Kennedy Center from initiating its planned two-year closure for renovations . Cooper also ordered Trump's name be taken off the building, which happened last weekend. Cooper's 94-page order last month did not explicitly say that shows must immediately resume, given that there are "at least some plans to restart rehearsals, performances and educational programming." FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP'S NAME REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER, SAYS ONLY CONGRESS CAN RENAME IT He did say 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." The Kennedy Center said its management would begin present…