The Kennedy Center didn't just vote to add President Trump's name to its facade—it quietly rewrote the rulebook first. In May, the federally chartered arts institution revised its bylaws to say only presidentially appointed trustees could vote or count toward a quorum, sidelining "ex officio" members designated by Congress, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post. That change cleared the way for a Dec. 18 vote by Trump-appointed trustees to rebrand the institution as "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," wording that appeared on the building and website within a day and has triggered legal and political pushback.
Legal scholars say the new bylaws may clash with the Kennedy Center's federal charter, which names ex officio officials—including congressional leaders, the DC mayor, and several agency heads—as trustees without distinguishing between voting and nonvoting members. The center's own past tax filings counted both presidential and ex officio trustees as voting members. Some former insiders told the Post that ex officio members historically joined debates but that their votes were not tallied; others say the issue is now "in dispute." The Kennedy Center's public relations chief says the May changes merely formalized longstanding practice and passed unanimously with no objections.
Democrats in Congress and at least one trustee are challenging the name change on multiple fronts. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member, has sued to block the move, arguing that she is a full voting trustee and that only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center, which was created as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy. Law professors say there's a strong case that stripping ex officio members of voting rights contradicts the charter's intent to spread authority across a broad group, not just presidential appointees.
Lawmakers have introduced legislation to remove Trump's name and are pledging to attach amendments to spending bills to reverse the change, while several artists have canceled appearances, including jazz group the Cookers, who were scheduled to play New Year's Eve. The Guardian reports that on Tuesday, hours after the Kennedy family announced the death of Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter, Trump posted a string of remarks on Truth Social from supporters who criticized the family for allegedly neglecting the center.
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