Updated Dec. 19, 2025, 1:11 p.m. ET
- The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees reportedly voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center.
- Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, a board member, claims she was muted and prevented from speaking in opposition during the virtual meeting.
The board of the iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. voted Dec. 18 to change the name to the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” according to the White House.
But Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, took to social media later in the day to say the vote was made without the input of all board members.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the news on social media, saying the center’s board voted unanimously in favor of the change.
Beatty, a Democrat who represents Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District and serves as an ex officio member on the board, disputed the characterization of the vote in a video posted to Bluesky, saying she was repeatedly prevented from speaking during the meeting.
“Be clear, I was on that call, and as I tried to push my button to voice my concern, to ask questions, and certainly not to vote in support of this, I was muted,” Beatty said. “Each time I tried to speak, I was muted.”
Though some board leaders described the vote to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center as unanimous, Beatty said members who attended the meeting virtually were not allowed to voice objections before the vote.
“Participants were not allowed to voice their concern who were online, yet it was said at the end it was a unanimous vote,” she said.
In a joint statement Beatty and several other ex-officio board members said the renaming effort was conducted improperly and without legal authority. The statement was signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington.
The lawmakers said federal law established the Kennedy Center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and prohibits changing its name without congressional action. The statement also criticized the meeting process, saying a sitting member of Congress was muted and participants were prevented from speaking.
Supporters of the name change, like Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center, said it reflects President Donald Trump’s impact on American political and cultural life. The Kennedy Center has served as a living memorial for the late president since opening in 1971 in Washington, D.C.
Beatty criticized the process as lacking transparency and public input.
“This is just another attempt to evade the law and not let the people have a say,” Beatty said.
The Kennedy Center has not publicly released a transcript of the meeting or responded to questions about whether members were formally recognized to speak before the vote.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.