Donald Trump is facing mounting legal and political fallout over his controversial move to rename the Kennedy Center after himself, with a federal lawsuit alleging the change inflicted serious financial, cultural, and reputational damage on the iconic arts institution. Former White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen, who is challenging the move, said the losses extend far beyond new signage, citing harm to performers, audiences, arts education, and the center’s mission. Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty is seeking a court order to restore the original John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts name after Trump-installed board members pushed the change through, while insiders describe a toxic, funereal atmosphere that has driven away longtime fixtures like the Washington National Opera. A Guardian columnist wrote it was like a "funeral parlor - there's a deathly pall over the place." House Democrats have now introduced legislation to reverse the renaming outright, with Rep. April McClain Delaney blasting the move as authoritarian, arrogant, and narcissistic.
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