U.S. President Donald Trump attends the State Department Kennedy Center Honors Medal Presentation Dinner at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Kennedy Center board member and Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) had some words Thursday for President Donald Trump and his administration over the venue's upcoming rebrand.
Beatty told CNN anchor Jake Tapper that the vote to rename the venue after President Donald Trump was "not unanimous" despite the Trump White House's claims to the contrary and called out the move.
"They have no regard for the rule of law. They are acting as what criminals do. And it's criminal that they are doing this," Beatty said.
"I served with Joe Kennedy when I first went on the board. He's absolutely right. They cannot independently, as a handful of self-appointed people who giggled and laughed, the whole board meeting was a mockery of professional boards," Beatty added.
She described the situation while the vote unfolded.
"There were 10 or 15 minutes where we could hear people laughing and singing jingle bells because they didn't know how to even operate the equipment," Beatty said. "The board meeting was held in someone's home, the home of the Wynns that were hosting it. I don't know if they were in their library, the kitchen, or where they were. Typically on a Zoom, you can see the table where the board members are. None of this happened. It was a farce. Just as most of the things that they have been doing, it was a dog and pony show."
Beatty was referring to Elaine and Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas hotel and casino owners, who sit on the board and were appointed by Trump.