Democrat sues Trump officials over move to rename tKennedy Center

Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio member of the center's board, argued in her lawsuit that adding Trump's name to the performing arts center violated federal law.

A Democratic lawmaker who sits on the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington sued the Trump administration Monday over the recent move to add President Donald Trump's name to the building.

Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio member of the center’s board, argued that renaming the center would require an act of Congress since the original name was established through legislation that was signed into law.

The suit calls the effort to rename the center “more reminiscent of authoritarian regimes than an American Republic.”

“This is a flagrant violation of the rule of law, and it flies in the face of our constitutional order. Congress intended the Center to be a living memorial to President Kennedy—and a crown jewel of the arts for all Americans, irrespective of party,” the suit reads.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit Monday night.