John F. Kennedy’s niece, Kerry Kennedy, praised Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty as a national hero after the congresswoman challenged President Donald Trump’s proposal to rename the Kennedy Center. On X, Kennedy applauded Beatty’s courage in defending the arts, the Kennedy legacy, and the law.
Beatty filed a lawsuit in December 2025, and a U.S. District Judge, Christopher Cooper, ruled this week that Trump cannot etch his name onto the building. Cooper stated that defendants cannot install memorials without congressional approval, citing a federal court order and a statute enacted by Congress.
Following the ruling, Trump reportedly erupted in a tantrum during a meeting with the Kennedy Center board, which he chairs. He called Beatty an obstructionist and dumb, and the Trump‑controlled board voted to close the venue. Trump announced on Truth Social that he would not begin a renovation project unless courts allowed him to add his name.
A federal judge ordered the administration to give at least 30 days’ notice before any physical changes to the building. A Pew Research Center poll in May found only 9 percent of Americans would accept a president naming government buildings after himself while in office.
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