The Kennedy Center must allow congresswoman and ex officio board member Joyce Beatty to voice her dissent to President Donald Trump’s renovations at an upcoming meeting, a judge ordered Saturday.
The ruling came after the board allegedly silenced the Democrat from Ohio’s objection to the art institution’s name change in December and as Rep. Beatty is suing Trump over the proposed renovations. She warned in the emergency motion last week that the president may not revive the memorial and performing arts center after demolishing the building for good.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Saturday that the Kennedy Center must provide Beatty with information pertaining to Trump’s plans to close and renovate the institution, but stopped short of allowing her to vote on the renovations.
“While her statutory arguments are persuasive, the question whether the statute provides a right to vote is not clearcut, and the irreparable harm and balance of the equities persuade the Court to stay its hand, for now,” Cooper wrote.
Along with the March 6 lawsuit against Trump, Beatty filed a temporary restraining order against the president to prevent him from keeping her out of the March 16 meeting. The board is expected to approve Trump’s plan to rebuild the center without seeking approval through the appropriate channels.
“On Feb. 1, 2026, after weeks of bad press and mounting criticism,
President Trump abruptly announced on Truth Social that he had decided to close the Kennedy Center for approximately two years, starting July 2026,” the filing reads. “The timing alone suggests that decision is meant to hide how this once great institution is failing as a direct result of President Trump’s unlawful effort to rename the Kennedy Center for himself.”
Beatty previously filed a lawsuit in December to remove Trump’s name from the center. Her filing also alleged she was denied the abitily to speak at a previous meeting despite the fact she is one of the center’s congressionally appointed ex officio members. The members appointed by Trump were allowed to speak and vote on the potential name change.
Trump announced the center’s potential two-year closure on Truth Social in February. The news came after several prominent and longtime performers cancelled appearances and performances following the president’s takeover.
Cooper’s ruling comes one day after the Kennedy Center’s head Richard Grenell stepped down amid Trump’s upheaval. The president appointed Matt Floca to chief operating officer and executive director soon after.
