JUNE 21, 2026
Rep. Beatty accuses Kennedy Center board of allowing venue to become "lifeless husk" in new court filing
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, filed a court motion arguing the venue's Trump-appointed board is violating a May court order by failing to resume regular programming. Kennedy Center lawyers responded that the order did not require the board to reschedule previously canceled shows. A vote on reopening options is expected in mid-July.
A new legal dispute over the Kennedy Center's operations emerged Friday when Rep. Joyce Beatty's attorneys filed court papers arguing that the venue's current board — with President Donald Trump as chairman — is in violation of a May court order by "refusing to take any steps to maintain the Center's operations," and warned the venue would "effectively close" as a performing arts venue by July 5, 2026.
Beatty's legal team characterized the board's inaction as a deliberate choice, writing that board leaders "plan to turn the Kennedy Center into a lifeless husk." The filing follows a broader dispute that began in February 2025 when Trump announced a two-year closure of the center for renovations, a move that Beatty's original lawsuit successfully blocked.
The Kennedy Center's lawyers pushed back on the new motion, stating that U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper's order "did not affirmatively require the Board to reschedule programming that had previously been canceled or to seek new programming." The center said its management would begin presenting recommendations for plans to reopen, and that a vote on options — including a full closure with no programming, a partial closure allowing some performances, and a phased repair plan — would be held in mid-July.