The renaming of the Kennedy Center has triggered a public dispute after Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty said claims that the decision was unanimous are false and that she was prevented from speaking during the vote.
Beatty, a sitting member of the Kennedy Center board, pushed back after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the board had unanimously approved renaming the historic arts institution during a recent call, according to The Independent.
“For the record, this was not unanimous,” Beatty wrote on X. “I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move. Also for the record, this was not on the agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship,” she said, according to her verified post.
For the record. This was not unanimous. I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move. Also for the record, this was not on the agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship. https://t.co/D1zGV7xiWV pic.twitter.com/npNvSIy6sV
— Rep. Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) December 18, 2025
Beatty’s statement directly contradicts the White House’s characterization of the process and has raised questions about whether the board followed its own rules when discussing changes tied to Trump and his influence over the institution.
According to People, multiple board members confirmed that Beatty was muted during the call and unable to participate when the renaming issue was raised. The outlet reported that the proposal to rename the Kennedy Center was not listed as a formal agenda item before the meeting.
The lack of prior notice has become central to the controversy. Board governance rules typically require advance notice for major decisions, especially those involving the name and identity of a congressionally chartered institution like the Kennedy Center.
I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) December 18, 2025
Adding to the criticism, Joe Kennedy III, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, publicly questioned whether the renaming was even legal. Speaking to The Guardian, Kennedy said the move broke with long-standing tradition and the intent behind naming the center after his grandfather.
“There’s a reason other presidents haven’t renamed historic institutions after themselves,” Joe Kennedy III said, per The Guardian. He emphasized that the Kennedy Center was meant to honor public service and the arts, not partisan power.
The Kennedy Center was established by an act of Congress and named after President Kennedy in 1964 following his assassination. While presidents appoint board members, the structure was designed to remain above day-to-day politics.
The White House, however, has stood by its version of events. Leavitt said the vote reflected consensus and dismissed criticism as politically motivated, according to The Independent. She did not address Beatty’s claim that she was muted during the call.
President Donald Trump’s handpicked board voted on Thursday to rename Washington’s leading performing arts center as the Trump-Kennedy Center, the White House said.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the vote on social media, saying it was because of the “unbelievable… pic.twitter.com/ZRaL3Ix7Zd
— Neelotpal Srivastav (@NS_Neelotpal) December 18, 2025
President Donald Trump has previously spoken about reshaping cultural institutions, often framing them as part of a broader effort to challenge what he calls elite or establishment control. The Guardian reports that he has not directly addressed Beatty’s allegations but has praised the decision to rename the center as overdue recognition of leadership.
The incident has sparked backlash from arts advocates and former officials, who warn that the dispute could damage the Kennedy Center’s reputation as a nonpartisan cultural landmark.
JFK Jr’s nephew, Joe Kennedy III, torches Trump for trying to add his own name to the Kennedy Center.
“It’s tragic that in the challenges that we’re confronting — an affordability crisis where energy rates are high, groceries are high…”pic.twitter.com/0uRexqg0re
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 19, 2025
For Beatty, the issue goes beyond the name itself. Her criticism focuses on process and voice. By speaking out she’s taking a stand, reflecting her beliefs that decisions about American institutions should not be made this way. It undermines the legitimacy of the outcome.
As questions continue over how the vote was conducted and who was allowed to participate, the Kennedy Center has devolved from a symbol of national unity to a fight for political and cultural dominance.
