Kennedy Center Seeks Court Approval to Inscribe Trump’s Name Amid Financial Struggles

The Kennedy Center has asked a court not to block its plan to inscribe President Donald Trump’s name on the venue, arguing the inscription honors his role in restoring the center and is crucial for its financial survival.

The center filed a response opposing a motion by Rep. Joyce Beatty, who seeks to prevent the inscription on the front portico. The Kennedy Center contends the inscription is not a renaming, which requires congressional approval, and claims the right to name the surrounding grounds as "President Donald J. Trump Plaza."

In its filing, the Kennedy Center emphasized that it "cannot survive" without Trump’s fundraising efforts, praising his expertise in real estate and construction and his prominence as president. It also noted Beatty expressed "no objection" to the naming during an August board meeting, questioning her standing to legally challenge it.

Earlier this month, the center's board voted to add inscriptions recognizing Trump’s restoration efforts and a fundraising endowment if $100 million is raised.

The court is scheduled to hear Beatty’s motion to block the inscription, with a response due from her ahead of a Thursday hearing.

The filing described the Kennedy Center as "dangerously dilapidated" and in "terminal decline," highlighting decades of financial losses until Trump secured $257 million from Congress for structural improvements. It credited Trump’s efforts and prestige as the center’s "sole hope" for financial and structural renewal.

However, a Washington Post investigation reported that ticket sales and donations declined following the board’s decision to rename the venue after Trump. The center revised its 2026 revenue forecast from $220 million to $124 million, citing inherited financial difficulties.

Beatty urged the court to block the inscription, calling it a "breathtaking act of defiance" of congressional authority and a court ruling that prohibits renaming the center without congressional consent.

Her motion also criticized tarps covering the Kennedy Center’s sign for over two months, which obscure President Kennedy’s name. The center said the tarps are necessary for ongoing construction but did not specify when they would be removed.