U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, filed a motion Wednesday requesting an emergency hearing to challenge what she described as the “unlawful” shutdown of the Kennedy Center by President Donald Trump and the performing arts venue’s board of trustees.
In her filing, Beatty argued that the closure appears to be in “apparent violation” of a previous directive issued by Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Later on Wednesday, Judge Cooper ordered Trump and the board to respond to the request by Thursday morning, stating he would schedule a prompt hearing if necessary after reviewing their response.
The legal action follows the board’s vote on Tuesday to close the center for renovations, a decision President Trump amplified by declaring the facility would shut down “immediately.” Trump further stated that any planned reconstruction or renovation would not commence until a federal appeals court or the Supreme Court rules in his favor regarding the inclusion of his name in the institution’s official title.
According to Beatty’s motion, a staff member from her law firm attempted to enter the Kennedy Center on Wednesday morning but was denied access by security personnel. The filing notes that security informed the staffer the building was closed to the public due to “safety reasons” and that interior construction had already begun.
Beatty’s attorneys, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, condemned the shutdown in a statement. They asserted that closing the facility without Judge Cooper’s approval constitutes “an assault on the rule of law” and emphasized that no one, including the president, is above the law.
The lawyers referenced a May ruling by Cooper that ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the center and issued an injunction preventing the board from shuttering the venue until it approved a closure consistent with the court’s order and any further judicial directives.
The dispute centers on the center’s name change. The board, which Trump appointed and currently heads, voted in December to rename the institution honoring the late President John F. Kennedy. The facility subsequently became known as the Trump Kennedy Center, prompting the current legal battle over the president’s name and the facility’s operational status.
Does this renovation actually matter if they are just closing the doors anyway? Seems like a lot of drama for nothing.
I can’t believe security denied access to a congressional staffer’s lawyer. That seems escalation-heavy.
Wait, did the board vote to close it for renovations while simultaneously fighting the name change? Confusing timeline.
This is a wild legal battle. The rule of law really is being tested here.