Legal and congressional efforts are underway to remove President Donald Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after a December 2025 board vote. Rep. Joyce Beatty's federal lawsuit argues the rename is unlawful because Congress designated the center's name by statute and only Congress can change it. House Democrats have also filed a bill and a resolution to restore the original name, while attorneys warn of substantial financial and reputational harm to the institution.
Lawmakers, Trustees Seek to Strip Trump’s Name From Kennedy Center After Controversial Board Vote
Lawmakers intensify efforts to remove Trump's name from Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center board's December 2025 decision to append President Donald Trump's name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has prompted legal action and congressional measures aimed at restoring the institution's original name.
Legal Challenge
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and Kennedy Center trustee, filed a federal civil lawsuit asking a court to declare the December 2025 vote to rename the center null and void. The suit argues that Congress originally designated the center's name by statute, and therefore any change requires an act of Congress.
"Because Congress named the center by statute, changing the Kennedy Center's name requires an act of Congress," the complaint states. It calls the board's action "a flagrant violation of the rule of law" and says it undercuts constitutional norms.
Multiple sources told CBS News the Trump administration was expected to formally respond to Beatty's lawsuit by the end of February.
Board Overhaul and Leadership Changes
Critics say the renaming followed an overhaul of the Kennedy Center board in which the president removed several board members and installed close allies in February. The new board — largely made up of Trump loyalists — elected Mr. Trump as chairman and named longtime ally Richard Grenell interim president and executive director.
File: A general view of the facade of The Trump Kennedy Center on January 17, 2026, in Washington, DC. / Credit: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Costs and Institutional Impact
The financial cost of changing signage, website content, and other branded materials has not been disclosed. A Kennedy Center spokeswoman defended the overhaul, saying, "President Trump deserves credit for saving America's cultural center after years of neglect — as the very legislators attacking him now sat idly by while the center fell into disrepair."
Attorney Norm Eisen, who is involved in the legal challenge, said the damages extend beyond the visible costs of signage: "The damages have been substantial... The losses to the performing corps, to the audience base, to the bottom line of the Center, to its memorial and other activities and indeed to the arts and arts education themselves have been vast."
Congressional Response
Beyond the lawsuit, House Democrats have introduced measures to reverse the rename. Rep. April McClain Delaney introduced a bill that would require removal of any signage or identification that differs from the statutory designation "John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts." Separately, Rep. Stephen Lynch introduced a resolution urging the House to formally declare that the renaming violates federal law.
Rep. Steve Cohen said on the House floor: "The idea that Donald Trump would want his name to go before Kennedy's — or even with Kennedy's — is a sacrilege." He argued the name should only be changed by Congress, which originally bestowed the Kennedy designation by statute.
What Comes Next
The case is likely to hinge on legal interpretation of the statute that named the Kennedy Center and whether board action can override or alter that designation. The litigation and congressional measures are ongoing, and further developments are expected as the administration responds and courts consider the suit.
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