Rep. Beatty & Counsel Statement on Today's Court-Ordered Disclosure

WASHINGTON - Today's scanty document production shows that there is no adequate basis to close the Kennedy Center and that Donald Trump’s statements to the contrary are not founded. 

President Trump claims that his proposed closure of the Kennedy Center was based on a “a one-year review” including “Art Institutions” and other experts and advisors. Rep. Beatty’s court filings (see here and here) establish that indeed such an extensive review is required for a decision of this magnitude. 

Accordingly, on Saturday, March 14, 2026, a federal court issued an emergency order requiring the government to provide Congresswoman Joyce Beatty–a Kennedy Center trustee–with proof backing up the President's statement. That includes “a list of the experts or advisors who provided input during [the] ‘one year review.’” The court also ordered production of “any reports provided by those experts and advisors” “relating to the ‘one year review’ or the planned closure of the Center.”

“We called Donald Trump’s bluff, and the results are in,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.  “These inadequate documents prove that there is absolutely no basis to shutter this precious living memorial and beloved institution. It certainly looks like President Trump is shutting down the Center because he is embarrassed that ticket sales are down and artists are fleeing since his illegal renaming. I’m not letting him get away with it – we’re holding him accountable.”

The documents just produced fall far short. “President Trump’s February 1, 2026 Truth Social post claimed he conducted a one-year review with contractors, musical experts, art institutions, advisors and consultants to determine whether to shut down the Kennedy Center,” said the Congresswoman’s counsel Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), executive chair of Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky, Senior Counsel at the Washington Litigation Group.  “According to the scanty materials we have received, the Kennedy Center did not consult a single outside expert or adviser from February 1, 2025 to February 1, 2026 as part of a one year review, and there appears to be no report from the supposed one year review during that period. This only confirms that there is no legal or other basis to close the Kennedy Center.” 

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Democracy Defenders Action brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.

The Washington Litigation Group is a nonpartisan team of attorneys dedicated to defending individuals and institutions that have been unlawfully targeted for exercising their legal rights and to fighting against governmental overreach.