Rory Kennedy, the niece of former President John F. Kennedy, is raising new questions about what President Donald Trump may be “hiding” as he moves to close, renovate, and potentially demolish the Kennedy Center.
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“This is a clear example of overstepping,” Kennedy told the Daily Beast’s Obsessed podcast. “So my hope is that Congress pushes back and does its job, which is, if they want to rename the Kennedy Center, then put it to a vote.”
Trump’s attempt to add his name to the famed performing arts center’s facade last year soon failed after a federal judge ruled the change was illegal and ordered its removal. But the president has since announced plans for a new inscription crediting him with restoring the building, which he says must now close for two years, the Daily Beast reported.
“What are they hiding back there?” Kennedy asked about the possible closure days after the Trump administration threatened to demolish the center if the president does not get his way.
Kennedy told the Daily Beast Thursday that Trump’s moves violate a law stating “very clearly” that the institution’s name and exterior cannot be altered without congressional approval.
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“To me, it’s an affront to the Kennedy Center and to the arts,” she said. “My uncle, John F. Kennedy—this was something that Congress put in his name as a memorial, not unlike the Lincoln Memorial, but wanted it to be an active memorial. It was really meant to celebrate and to recognize the love in this country for this pretty spectacular fallen president.”
Kennedy said Trump acting without lawmakers’ approval was “unsettling” and “upsetting” to her, adding it demonstrated a complete disregard for constitutional checks and balances.
While Kennedy expressed confidence that the courts and Congress would ultimately block Trump, she criticized the resources being consumed by the fight.
“I’m confident that the system will play itself out the way it’s supposed to,” she said on the podcast, “but I think it’s consuming a lot of resources and time that feels ill-spent.”
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