Trump invokes executive privilege in Kennedy Center court fight

President Donald Trump has formally invoked executive privilege in a legal dispute involving his management of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A White House lawyer, Joshua Hoyt, stated in a court filing late Wednesday that the president had directed him to assert the presidential communications privilege regarding information, documents, and communications sought by Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, who is challenging Trump’s involvement with the center. Beatty, an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, has contested Trump’s attempts to add his name to the building’s façade and his directive to shut the center for two years during renovations. She has sought greater transparency about Trump’s role, particularly after he was named to the board last year and later became its chairman following a vote by his handpicked members. Trump announced the closure via a social media post in February and has since indicated that the renovations will not proceed unless he receives recognition for his efforts. In the administration’s court filing, Hoyt explained that the invocation of executive privilege means Beatty is not entitled to further details about the president’s management of the nonprofit board. He specified that the privilege applies to information, documents, and communications exchanged between the president, his advisors, and Kennedy Center staff related to the center’s management and operation. It also includes communications between advisors and Kennedy Center staff. Separately, the Justice Department argued that Beatty’s pursuit of documents constitutes an improper “fishing expedition,” stating that her request for additional information is unjustified. However, Beatty’s legal team countered that the Department of Justice is misusing executive privilege. They claimed that Trump, by appointing himself as chair of the non-profit board, is attempting to shield his management decisions under the guise of executive privilege. The legal battle over executive privilege arises amid broader disputes over the Kennedy Center’s governance. Earlier this month, Beatty’s attorneys contended that Trump’s position as chairman of the board does not grant him the authority to claim executive privilege, as the center is not part of the executive branch and does not exercise executive power. They emphasized that Trump voluntarily assumed the responsibilities of a trustee and that the Kennedy Center’s staff is not comparable to close presidential advisers protected by executive privilege. The Kennedy Center, established by Congress in 1958, is funded through a combination of federal funds, ticket sales, and private donations. Its board of trustees, which includes Trump administration officials and allies, elected Trump as its chairman last year, marking the first time a sitting president held the role. The question of whether executive privilege applies to Trump’s actions as chairman of the center presents novel and untested legal issues. Trump’s assertion of executive privilege encompasses records related to his attempt to close the center for renovations, its financial status, efforts to add his name to the building’s façade, and the potential for the center to be demolished. Concerns about demolition arose after Trump suggested the center might be torn down if his administration did not receive credit for fundraising and overseeing repairs. Photographs showed Trump examining a placard labeled “Kennedy Center Demolished” aboard Air Force One. The legal conflict follows a lawsuit initiated by Beatty in December, challenging the board’s decision to rename the center and temporarily close it for renovations. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper previously blocked the closure and ordered Trump’s name to be removed from the building’s exterior. Although the name was stripped from the façade in June, the front portico remains partially obscured by a tarp. Cooper has permitted Beatty to gather information from the Kennedy Center regarding the decision to close the facility.