Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, filed a brief in federal court on Friday accusing the Trump-led Kennedy Center board of deliberately allowing the Washington, D.C., venue to collapse into what her lawyers called a "lifeless husk," warning the center will effectively shut down as a performing arts venue by July 5, 2026. The filing alleges the board is in violation of a May order from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper by refusing to take steps to maintain operations. Kennedy Center lawyers responded that Cooper's order did not affirmatively require the board to reschedule cancelled programming.
The Legal Timeline
Beatty, an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, first filed suit in December 2025 after the board voted to install signage displaying Trump's name alongside Kennedy's. Judge Cooper, of the U.S. District Court, issued a 94-page ruling last month blocking a planned two-year renovation closure and ordering Trump's name removed from the building. Workers carried out that removal on June 13; the sign had read "The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts." Cooper's order stopped short of mandating an immediate resumption of shows, noting there were "at least some plans to restart rehearsals, performances and educational programming," but stated the board "may not simply stop putting on shows altogether."
Three Options on the Table, Vote Set for Mid-July
Kennedy Center lawyers disclosed the board is weighing three scenarios: a full closure with no programming, a partial closure keeping some public areas open while allowing performances in unaffected spaces, and a phased repair plan designed to restore a full schedule. A board vote on those options — described as not yet finalized — is scheduled for mid-July.
How the Board Was Reconstituted
The governance dispute traces to February 2025, when Trump replaced several trustees, appointed himself a trustee, and was subsequently elected chair by the new board. That succession allowed him to remove Deborah Rutter as the center's president. In a May 2025 speech, Trump claimed Rutter's administration left behind a $26 million budget deficit and programming he described as "rampant political propaganda, DEI, and inappropriate shows." Also in May 2025, the reconstituted board stripped all 23 ex officio members of their voting rights. That category spans both parties: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lost his vote, as did Trump cabinet members Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. In February 2026, Trump announced the two-year closure via Truth Social; Beatty's lawsuit subsequently produced the court order blocking it.
What to Watch
The mid-July board vote is now the critical decision point. If the board selects full closure, it faces immediate contempt exposure under Cooper's May order. A partial-closure or phased option could satisfy the order's letter while leaving programming severely curtailed. Cooper's ruling that the board "bears an affirmative duty" to carry out programming gives Beatty's legal team a lever; how broadly the judge interprets that duty will determine whether the July 5 deadline triggers further court intervention.