Story perspectives

Kennedy Center Board Adds Trump Name, Faces Legal Fees

8/14/2026

Summary

Kennedy Center Adds

On Aug. 13 2026 the Kennedy Center board voted to add President Donald Trump’s inscription beneath the main sign.
The board approved a two-year closure of the main building, kept the REACH wing open, and unveiled a $250 million renovation with structural repairs, new marble flooring and $11.8 million in acoustical upgrades.
Judge Christopher Cooper must review the plan, which Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) called a “transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling.”

Summary

Judge Orders Payment

Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ordered the Kennedy Center to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees to musician Chuck Redd.
She dismissed Redd’s breach-of-contract suit under Anti-SLAPP Act, finding no contract existed.
The Kennedy Center will appeal ruling, after former president Richard Grenell threatened a $1 million lawsuit over Redd’s cancellation after board added U.S. President Donald Trump’s name, with attorney Lisa J. Banks saying decision shows suit was motivated and violated speech.

History

Historical Context

In 1990 NEA Chair John Frohnmayer vetoed grants to the NEA Four, prompting a 1993 congressional cut of $100 million that lowered the agency’s budget to $140 million—a 30 percent decline. Decades of conservative attacks, from the 1989 Mapplethorpe controversy to Newt Gingrich’s 1994 push, set a pattern that resurfaced in 2026 when the Kennedy Center’s decision to add former President Donald Trump’s name sparked lawsuits.

1 of 3

Kennedy Center Adds

On Aug. 13 2026 the Kennedy Center board voted to add President Donald Trump’s inscription beneath the main sign.
The board approved a two-year closure of the main building, kept the REACH wing open, and unveiled a $250 million renovation with structural repairs, new marble flooring and $11.8 million in acoustical upgrades.
Judge Christopher Cooper must review the plan, which Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) called a “transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling.”

1 / 3