WASHINGTON 鈥� Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, asked a federal court Friday to block President Donald Trump鈥檚 plan to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years starting this summer for what Trump has called a 鈥渃omplete rebuilding.鈥�
Beatty, an ex officio member of the center鈥檚 board who has already sued Trump seeking to remove his name from the venue, amended her lawsuit, warning that Trump could be planning a surprise demolition of the center.
鈥淧resident Trump鈥檚 own words indicate that he is planning to demolish the existing Kennedy Center building,鈥� said Beatty鈥檚 suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 鈥淭o state the obvious, Congress has not authorized either closing the center or conducting a 鈥榗omplete rebuilding.鈥欌��
The suit cited the sudden demolition of the White House鈥檚 East Wing last year in Trump鈥檚 drive to build a ballroom there.
Beatty is represented by Norman Eisen, a White House ethics counsel in the Obama administration and the chair of the group Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky of the Washington Litigation Group.
鈥淭he president cannot shut down and demolish the Kennedy Center without congressional authorization 鈥� and he cannot silence dissenting trustees like Joyce Beatty who are fighting to protect this national treasure,鈥� Eisen and Zelinsky said in a statement.
Liz Huston, a White House spokesperson, defended the president鈥檚 plans for the Kennedy Center, saying he was 鈥渢ransforming it into a welcoming destination that everyone can enjoy under his leadership.鈥�
鈥淲hile the Democrats neglected the Trump-Kennedy Center for years, President Trump immediately stepped up to rescue and revitalize the institution,鈥� she said after the amended lawsuit was filed, adding: 鈥淥nly deranged Democrats could oppose these efforts.鈥�
Trump has not made clear his plans for construction, but he has insisted he will not demolish the center.
鈥淚鈥檓 not ripping it down,鈥� Trump said last month. 鈥淚鈥檒l be using the steel. So we鈥檙e using the structure, we鈥檙e using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down.鈥�
Since returning to office, Trump has aggressively sought to reshape the center, installing himself as chair, stacking its board with his allies and trying to purge it of what he has called 鈥渨oke鈥� programming. The changes have caused artists and audiences to flee.
This article originally appeared in .
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