'Fool me once…' Lawyers argue Kennedy Center should not meet same fate as the East Wing

Culture 'Fool me once…' Lawyers argue Kennedy Center should not meet same fate as the East Wing April 30, 202610:40 AM ET Elizabeth Blair A general view shows the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on January 10, 2026. Two lawsuits are calling to halt the closure of the Center for renovations. Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio trustee, is also asking for the removal of President Trump's name from the Center, an act that was not approved by Congress. Since the name change, artists have cancelled performances and ticket sales have declined. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images 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. Sponsor Message Culture Senate Democrats are investigating the Kennedy Center for 'cronyism, corruption' 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...