Kennedy Center official tells judge that removing Trump’s name would make them go broke in new court filing

A Trump-Kennedy Center official warned a federal judge that stripping the president’s name from the renowned arts institution would cause unbearable financial damage, marking the latest twist in a months-long legal battle.

Charles Matthew Floca, the center’s 39-year-old executive director, filed a declaration Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing the institution’s funding is inextricably linked to President Donald Trump.

“President Trump’s fundraising on behalf of the Center is exemplified by the tens of millions of dollars already raised,” Floca wrote. “Further, the President has committed to raise $150 billion on its behalf from private donors over the next two years.”

“Should President Trump’s name be removed from the Center, that vital fundraising connection will be severed, causing irreparable harm and fundamentally destabilizing the Center’s development efforts, severely impairing its trust-fund artistic programming, and rendering the continuation of ongoing trust-funded operations financially nonviable,” he continued.

Floca’s declaration is part of a lawsuit filed in December 2025 by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, challenging the board’s decision to permanently add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following his installation as board chair. Since he took charge, Trump reportedly wants to move away from “woke culture” and push for performances that cater to a broader audience.

The Independent has reached out to Beatty and the White House for comment.

Beatty, an ex officio trustee of the center, described the rebranding as an unlawful “personal vanity project.” She also said she was silenced during a board meeting when she attempted to oppose the name change.

“Only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center. President Trump and his cronies must not be allowed to trample federal law and bypass Congress to feed his ego,” Beatty said in a December 22 news release. “This entire process has been a complete disgrace to this cherished institution and the people it serves. These unlawful actions must be blocked before any further damage is done.”

Her lawsuit also challenges the 79-year-old president’s plan to close the center for two years to carry out restoration and renovation work.

The center remains open for now but is scheduled to shut down after the Fourth of July. Its website and signage have already been updated to reflect the board’s name change, and large lettering bearing Trump’s name was installed on the building’s marble facade in December.

In March, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper partially sided with Beatty, ruling that she must be given a “meaningful opportunity to provide input.” He did not address the name change, however, saying that issue would be taken up later, according to ABC News.

At an April hearing, Cooper pressed Trump administration attorneys on why a complete two-year closure of the center was necessary.

Trump-Kennedy Center officials have argued that renovations are necessary to repair water damage and upgrade seating.

More Americans than not side with Beatty, according to a December 2025 YouGov poll. In the survey, 66 percent of respondents said they disapproved of renaming the center after Trump, while just 18 percent approved.