Ten ways to thank Trump: Kennedy Center's proposed inscriptions surface in court filing amid legal fight and cash crunch

The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees is planning to propose adding President Donald Trump's name to the facility's exterior in recognition of what it calls his role in saving the building from a "precarious fiscal position," according to a new court filing in a lawsuit aimed at blocking the move, AP reported.

The filing marks the latest twist in a months-long legal battle over the president's name on the cultural institution's facade.

How the filing surfaced


The new information came from a court filing submitted by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board who has led efforts to stop Trump's name from being added to the building, AP reported. Beatty said she was alerting the court to the board's proposal because it could bear on a pending decision in the case. Both the court and the Kennedy Center board are expected to hold separate meetings on Tuesday, with a hearing scheduled in the case the same morning.

Two documents, two different problems

Beatty's filing includes two exhibits. One is a draft resolution to shut the center down entirely, asserting the building is unsafe for occupancy, an assertion Beatty said incorrectly cites a consulting group's findings, which she said had "expressly disclaimed providing any such opinion."

The other document lays out the center's financial difficulties and proposes placing Trump's name in marble beneath the centre's name on the building's exterior, offering ten possible inscriptions for the board to choose from.

What the proposed inscriptions say

Among the options listed are "Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund" and "With Gratitude for Support from President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund."

Other versions reportedly circulated in the filing thank Trump for his "unwavering support" and credit his "generosity" for the institution's survival.

In the proposed resolution itself, the board wrote, "The Board understands that without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the Center."

How the dispute got here

The Kennedy Center's board, now aligned with Trump after he moved to reshape its leadership, voted in December 2025 to rename the institution and add the president's name, with new signage reading "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts" appearing on the building within days.

Beatty sued later that month, calling the renaming a "flagrant violation" of the law and arguing that only Congress has the authority to rename the centre. A federal judge ruled in May that Trump's name had been added to the building illegally and ordered it removed, a ruling Trump and his allies have continued to contest.

The board voted again last month to inscribe a version of his name on the venue's facade reading, "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump," and has said a further inscription, "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund," would be added if the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reaches $100 million.

Part of a broader push to remake Washington

The Kennedy Center dispute has become one obstacle in Trump's broader effort to reshape the US capital during his second term, AP reported. He has overseen the demolition of the White House's East Wing to make way for a new ballroom, and has plans for a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery as well as a renovated golf course along the Potomac River.

The Kennedy Center itself, established as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his 1963 assassination, was intended by Congress to serve as what Beatty has described in her filings as a "living memorial" and a "crown jewel of the arts for all Americans, irrespective of party."