DEVOS SCIONS IGNORE EXISTING LAW,
VOTE FOR NAME CHANGE TO KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Last February, just weeks after Donald J. Trump began his second administration, he fired several members of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Trump then named new members, including himself, to the board. The board then proceeded to elect Trump the board chairman.
Trump had his new board agree to his picks as to whom would be the 2025 recipients of the Kennedy Honors. After Trump recognized the artist nominees at a high-profile ceremony, he had the medallions redesigned more to his liking.
Trump also floated the suggestion of adding his name to the building and the Center’s board unanimously complied, disregarding whether the name change was extralegal. The Kennedy Center Board did indeed vote before Christmas to rename the building “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Within hours of the board’s vote, the Trump name was physically added to the building’s facade. Now we learn Trump also has plans to add marble to the theater’s armrests.
Bob LaBrant, a retired lawyer from Perry, Michigan, points out that no board member even raised the suggestion that they first ask Congress to amend the law that originally authorized the Center for the Performing Arts to be named for the martyred President after his assassination. Current federal law prohibits changing or adding another person’s name to this living memorial to John F. Kennedy (20 U.S.C. Section 76 A et seq).
“Isn’t it the fiduciary duty of a trustee to first follow the law?” questions LaBrant.
In contrast to Pamella’s name change vote, Betsy DeVos demonstrated political courage by resigning as U.S. Secretary of Education in protest of Trump’s role in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. She quit with two weeks remaining before the 2021 Inaugural and the change in administrations. In her resignation letter to Trump on January 7, 2021, she wrote, “There is no mistake your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is an inflection point for me.”
“There is nothing to suggest Governor Whitmer would ever agree to such a narcissistic pursuit, but not so with Donald J. Trump,“ says LaBrant.
No, Donald Trump has NOT committed the crime of stolen valor. He knows that we know that he was never in the military and therefore had no military record to falsely embellish. However, Trump has done the next-worst thing — by not rejecting this building’s name change outright, he has gone along with the board’s attempt to steal from the valor of John F. Kennedy’s legacy, by creating a false equivalence between the two,” concludes LaBrant.
*************************************************
Of all the disgusting things he has said and done, this pretty much says it all. Low class would be a huge compliment to Trump, and his daily sabotaging of himself and his presidency is embarrassing beyond words. I could go on and on, but you get the message…..
Hi Bill. Another good one. Kudos.
Just some quick points:
1) All politicians (and mega builders?) have egos that require personal dump trucks to carry. Detractors should save their hubris and accusations for folks who haven’t achieved the class status that these folks have attained.
2) Left/right political battles have been waged for years. Nothing new on this front.
3) Trump was a native of New York prior to being coaxed to Florida. Kennedy was a lifelong resident of Massachusetts. Neither live(d) permanently in Washington DC where the Trump Kennedy Center is located. Whitmer is a lifelong resident of Michigan. Betsy and Pamela DeVos’ foundation activities suggest they have connections to Michigan. Ms. Fischer is a resident of Michigan. This implies Whitmer sticking her name to a DeVos icon would be rather sticky political business, akin to dumping where one eats. Not so the Trump/Kennedy interactions which appear to be more rote political give and take.
4) Donald Trump was noted for his leadership potential at the New York Military Academy (NYMA). A school Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, a grandson of Abraham Lincoln, attended, and from which Trump actually graduated. While these type schools, as well as ROTC programs, do not bestow military credentials, similarly as fine organizations such as the Civil Air Patrol (which got credit for sinking a Japanese sub off the coast of Louisiana in WWII), they DO convey military credit for rank placement should they decide to continue on to military service after completion/graduation. I personally believe participants/graduates from these fine institutions should also receive military recognition as well.
5) While not holding a candle to JFK’s fine contributions to the war effort, I don’t believe Trump deserves the derision in the military arena he’s received at the hands of his political detractors.
Count me in on adding Bill’s name on Mott Community College.
You are correct that politicians have huge egos, and the higher up in the political realm the bigger the egos. However, there are two different ways elected officials express their ego. One is to do the best job for your constituents as possible, so you can look back at what you have done with price. The other is to flaunt your position and power and line your own pockets. One would hope for the former, but we often get the latter. As to Trump not deserving derision in the military arena, I think it would not be a problem if he didn’t say “he knows more than the generals”, and bad mouths people actually in harm’s way, such as John McCain.
I worked on John McCain’s campaign in 2008 and this man had no charisma – I admired his naval service – but he lost resoundingly to someone who never served in the military. Trump is loved by millions – although I will agree I do not care for his actions in many contexts.
Walter P. Reuther was a modest fellow but had a freeway and library named after him.
He had a controversial socialist history but was praised by JFK.
JFK’s PT109 heroics were tempered by the fact that his patrol boat had been rammed by a large Japanese cruiser that Gen. Mac Arthur was vocal about that a competent PT commander should have avoided with due diligence.
You begin putting JFK’s life under a microscope and you will see an imperfect person that in many ways parallels the life of Donald Trump. The Ivy Leaguer son of a real estate mogul and a person who is known for womanizing. Neither were perfect.
And a psychiatric hospital in Westland on Plamer Road just a wee bit east of Merriman.
Oops. That should be Palmer Road. My technology skills strike again.
Trump does not deserve to be considered a military veteran. He dodged the draft and insulted one of the bravest military men (McCain) our country ever produced
My how the mighty fall:
John McCain family ancestors have prominent and distinctive Naval history >
John McCain involved in quiescing USS Forrestal missile premature release disaster during Vietnam war >
John McCain shot down, suffers both arms and right leg broken; captured, spends 5 years as a POW >
John McCain gets elected as Arizona Senator, known as a swing voter, logs several questionable votes >
John McCain has his reputation questioned by Trump during debate >
John McCain shuns “bigger man” status and logs last official vote to inflict and codify “Obama Care (ACA)” socialist medicine onto all Americans >
John McCain’s children endorse democrats Kyrsten Sinema, Ruben Gallego and Kamala Harris
Dick Cheney culminates a long political career with election win as Republican Wyoming Senator >
Dick Cheney nominated as “W” Bush’s Vice President >
Dick Cheney rubber stamps “W”’s wish to take out Saddam Hussein even though he was not involved with 911 and Iraq did not have A Bombs. Iran was bypassed even though they did have ties to 911 and had a known nuclear program >
Dick and Liz Cheney incensed that Trump beats “W”’s brother, Jeb, for presidential nomination >
Liz Cheney picks J6 as opportunity to seek vengeance against Trump and becomes co-leader of J6 kangaroo court >
Liz Cheney helps trash J6 documents to keep them from country’s investigation team >
Liz Cheney’s admittedly close Secret Service acquaintance, Kimberly Cheatle, was assigned to both Dick and Liz Cheney >
Kimberly Cheatle, as head of the Secret Service, disallowed several recommended actions prior to the Butler PA event where Trump was nearly assassinated, leading to her ouster as Secret Service Head >
Liz Cheney’s outlandish accusations concerning Trump got herself censored by the Republican party and subsequently lost her Senate reelection attempt >
Liz Cheney becomes outspoken critic of Trump and endorser of Kamala Harris and democratic causes
I was part of the last class of young people receiving draft numbers for the Vietnam War. Scared me to death but if selected I was determined to go and serve the military to the best of my ability. I wasn’t even aware at that time that by going to college could potentially exempt me from service. Years later while working for a local defense prime contractor, I met dozens of slightly older engineers who admitted to going to school and becoming engineers to help them avoid the draft. We all ended up producing one-heck-of-a main battle tank. You may be old enough to have your own Vietnam draft experiences. But one thing I know for sure . . . until you’ve been there, you don’t know how anybody will react. I for one cut anyone even remotely associated a lot of slack.
Not that it makes any difference, but is there any truth to the report that Board members not appointed by President Trump weren’t allowed to vote on the name change?
In May 2025 the Kennedy Center Trustee bylaws were changed to restrict voting and determining a quorum to only those Trustees appointed by the incumbent President. The name change vote to Trump-Kennedy Center occurred in December 2025.
Everyone expects the SCOTUS decision in Trump v. Slaughter will overturn Humphrey’s Executor v. United States. On September 22, the Supreme Court granted the stay in Slaughter’s court ordered reinstatement and issued certiorari. Only the three liberal justices, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented.
Trump v. Slaughter was heard on December 8th and it was abundantly clear from the Justices’ questions that Humphrey’s Executor v. United States will be gutted. The majority seem to believe that the Constitution actually does vest executive power in the Presidency, not Congress.
Counselor LaBrant should check his 20 U.S.C. Section 76 A et seq cite. It is some kind of education statute unrelated to the National Cultural Center Act. The controlling law here is P.L 85-874 of 1958. Its Section 5 (c) states:
“The actions of the Board, including any payment made or
directed to be made by it from any trust funds, shall not be subject
to review by any officer or agency other than a court of law.”
I do not believe that this section in the National Cultural Center Act has ever been amended or repealed. It was specifically included in PL 85-874 to provide complete freedom of action to the arty types behind the project. They did not want the hoi polloi to have any say in the operation of the National Cultural Center. They also used it to reduce the NSO leadership to vassal status.
The Golden Harmonica was a complete disaster from the outset. The arty types wanted to knife the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. DAR had refused to allow several outrageous performers in DAR Constitution Hall, which was (and still is) a far superior venue. Larger, better acoustics, better sight lines, and far more attractive than the Golden Harmonica.
The arty types sold Mamie Eisenhower on the ‘National Cultural Center’ with a claim that: if the federal government provided the land, the arty types would raise the entire $ 10 million cost of the National Cultural Center They raised less than $ 10,000 by 1964, six long years later. The National Cultural Center Board then renamed the project the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to shake down Congress for the cost of the building, which would wind up well above $ 70 million. This did not change ownership or P.L 85-874, Section 5 (c). The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts would become one of the first PPPs, with an emphasis on private control.
I don’t understand why President Trump wants his name on this wretched eyesore. He is a proponent of classical architecture. The Golden Harmonica also has staggering annual maintenance costs, closing in on the total cost of construction. Not exactly in accord with MAGA philosophy.
But President Trump’s actions are in full compliance with PL 85-874, The National Cultural Center Act.
I stand by my cite. You reference PL 85-874 which authorized during the Eisenhower Administration a National Cultural Center. In January 1964 Congress passed PL 88-260 which amended PL 85-879 to name the National Cultural Center Act the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts and placed restrictions on changing its name or adding names to the Memorial. PL 88-260 was codified into 20 U.S.C. Section 76a et seq (et seq means what follows). Section 76j and Section 76k codifies PL 88-260. So the addition of Donald J. Trump name to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is extra legal. An Act of Congress trumps a Board of Trustees resolution.
The question then becomes who has standing to file a federal court lawsuit to enjoin that board from renaming the facility to add the mighty name of Trump?
“So the addition of Donald J. Trump name to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is extra legal. An Act of Congress trumps a Board of Trustees resolution.”
PL 88-260 was the parking lot act for the Golden Harmonica. It reserved the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts as the sole permissible monument to JFK permitted within Washington DC, but did not prohibit any addition to the name. It did prohibit other monuments within the Golden Harmonica without the Smithsonian’s permission, but not any addition to the Golden Harmonica’s name.
This internal monument prohibition was attached as an anti civil rights measure to prevent the arty types from installing a Paul Robeson memorial. The National Cultural Center was demanded by the arty types after the DAR banned Robeson from performing in Constitution Hall in 1941. The arty types claimed that the DAR banned Robeson for his race, but it was actually Robeson’s philandering and Communist Party membership which upset the DAR.
The internal monument language was added to the parking lot act to keep southern Senators from filibustering. You might remember the titanic fight over the civil Rights Act which commenced a month later in the same year.
The name addition would not be extra legal unless an Act of Congress, (which presumably would require Donald Trump’s signature) said so. Good luck with that. The Congressional Act language was merely a restatement of the obvious implication in P.L. 85-874, Section 5(c).
P.L. 85-879 is the Walter Reed Act, not germane to this discussion.
Former President Kennedy STOLE his election. Via the Democratic Party machine in Texas & the MAFIA elsewhere.
Historical facts.