Lawmakers Intensify Efforts to Remove Trump's Name from Kennedy Center
In a move that has sparked controversy and debate, President Donald Trump's name was added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., sparking a series of legal and legislative challenges.Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Trump Administration
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as one of the Kennedy Center's trustees, has filed a federal civil lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the decision to add President Trump's name to the center was unlawful. The suit seeks to declare that the vote to change the Kennedy Center's name is null and void and without legal effect.
Congressional Democrats Introduce Bills to Remove Trump's Name
In addition to Rep. Beatty's lawsuit, other Congressional Democrats have introduced bills to intervene in the matter. Rep. April McClain Delaney has introduced a bill to require the removal of any signage or other identification from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that differs from the designation 'John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.'
Criticism and Controversy Surround Trump's Renaming Efforts
The decision to rename the Kennedy Center has been met with criticism and controversy, with many arguing that it is a sacrilege to a martyred president. Rep. Steve Cohen blasted the effort, calling it 'a sacrilege to a martyred, heroic, historic American president whose name was attached to the Kennedy Center for his support for cultural excellence in America and because he was an assassinated president who we all mourned.'
Cost of Renaming Efforts Unknown
The cost of the changes to the signage, website, and other Kennedy Center monikers is unknown. A Kennedy Center spokeswoman issued a statement saying that '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.'
The controversy surrounding President Trump's name being added to the Kennedy Center has sparked a series of legal and legislative challenges. As lawmakers continue to debate the issue, one thing is clear: the future of the Kennedy Center hangs in the balance.
