WASHINGTON — The Kennedy Center’s board is preparing to propose placing President Donald Trump’s name on the building’s exterior, citing his role in rescuing the arts institution from what it describes as a “precarious fiscal position,” according to a court filing in a lawsuit challenging the plan.
The filing adds a new twist to the dispute over whether Trump’s name can appear on the Washington cultural landmark along the Potomac River, highlighting the Trump-backed board’s continued efforts to recognize the president.
Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio board member who has been working to stop the naming effort, disclosed the proposal in a filing. She said the information could affect an unresolved matter before the court and therefore needed to be brought to the judge’s attention.
The court and the Kennedy Center board are both scheduled to meet Tuesday.
Beatty attached two exhibits to her filing. The first is a draft resolution proposing that the Kennedy Center close because the building is allegedly unsafe. Beatty said that claim misrepresents a consulting firm’s report, which “expressly disclaimed providing any such opinion.”
The second document describes the center as being in severe financial difficulty and calls for Trump’s name to be carved in marble below the institution’s existing name. Among 10 suggested inscriptions are “Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” and “With Gratitude for Support from President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”
“The Board understands that without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the Center,” the proposed resolution states.
The Kennedy Center controversy comes as Trump pursues an expansive reshaping of Washington during his second term. His plans have included tearing down the White House’s East Wing for a ballroom, proposing a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery and renovating a golf course along the Potomac River.
The arts center has emerged as a significant obstacle after a judge ruled in May that Trump’s name had been placed on the building unlawfully and ordered its removal.
Trump and his supporters have continued pursuing legal and political efforts to overturn that decision.
Last month, the board voted to place the wording “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump” on the venue’s facade.
The board also approved a possible additional inscription if the Trump Kennedy Center Fund raises $100 million: “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”
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