Lawyers Argue Lawsuits Against Trump, Kennedy Center Board in D.C. Hearings

Lawyers made arguments in hearings for two separate lawsuits against President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board this week. Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio trustee of the Center, is suing to remove President Trump's name from the Center and stop its closure for renovations. In a related lawsuit, a coalition of cultural preservation and architecture groups, including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is also suing to halt the closure until the Center submits renovation plans to Congress for its approval.

Less than two months into his second term, Trump fired the Kennedy Center's leadership and ousted Biden-appointed members of the board. He replaced them with loyalists who then voted to make him board chair. The trustees also voted to add Trump's name to what is, by law, a living memorial to slain President John F. Kennedy. There have been a number of additional layoffs and departures since then. Both hearings were presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C.

Questions about the 'scope' of Trump's plans for the Kennedy Center

Under Trump's big beautiful bill, Congress approved $257 million for "capital repair, restoration, the maintenance backlog, and security structures" of the Kennedy Center. On Wednesday, Matt Floca, the Center's executive director and chief operating officer, testified that he was "dumbfounded" by the state of the building when he joined in 2024 as its vice president of facilities. He cited extensive water damage, outdated electrical systems and degraded concrete among the deferred maintenance issues. He said the infrastructure problems were safety concerns and that it was his recommendation to close the Center while renovations took place. He also noted the Center was under a timeline because the $257 million needs to be spent by 2029.

Lawyers for plaintiffs in both cases said they were not disputing the need for repairs but rather the fact that a comprehensive plan has not been submitted to congress for its approval. Floca said such a plan is currently in the works. Plaintiffs' lawyers also noted that the Kennedy Center has remained open while past work occurred.

Attorney Abbe Lowell raised the issue of trust, pointing to Trump's claim that his ballroom design for the White House wouldn't "interfere" with the building and then demolishing the East Wing without Congressional approval. Lowell, arguing for the preservation and architecture groups, asked Floca if he was familiar with the expression 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me?' Floca said he was and that there are "no active plans" to demolish the building. Lowell pressed him on whether he was speaking for himself or Trump. Floca said for himself but conceded that Trump is involved in all aspects of the renovations and restoration.

What's already been changed?

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that there's a big difference between Floca and Trump's descriptions of what changes will take place during the closure. Trump has referred to construction that will turn the Center into a "new and spectacular Entertainment Complex" and a "new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come," while Floca has said this is repair work and that the Center's exterior will not be changed. But the lawyers pointed to changes that have already altered the building, such as adding Trump's name to the facade, painting the gold columns white and cutting down the weeping willow trees on the plaza overlooking the Potomac River.

The government argued Trump's name on the building is an 'acknowledgment'

Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawsuit calls for the removal of Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, an action she argues runs afoul of an amendment to its founding statute which states, "after December 2, 1983, no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."