Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) said President Donald Trump threw a “tantrum” during a board meeting about the next steps for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and claimed the venue is still open despite the president saying otherwise.
Beatty, an ex officio member of the board, told CNN’s The Source about Trump phoning into the Kennedy Center board meeting on Tuesday, in which the president said the board voted to close the Washington, D.C., building immediately.
“I think it would be unthinkable for someone to hear a president using the language that he used,” Beatty said. “He threw a tantrum. It was like an immature child. I wouldn’t even want to put this on a child. He was just being very, in my opinion, very immature, shouting, calling names, stating facts. He doesn’t really know anything about me, and I looked to the board and said, ‘Are we really going to do this?’ This is very unprofessional. What he is proposing is unlawful, and he just shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.”
Beatty also said Trump’s post about the meeting on Truth Social following the board meeting did not accurately reflect what occurred.
“He stated that we voted to close down the Kennedy Center today,” she said. “While I did not support the vote, the others who voted did not vote for the language that he is putting up on Truth Social and saying to people.”
Trump said that the board “almost unanimously” agreed to close the Kennedy Center for safety reasons and to begin his planned renovation. The president also claimed that he had raised $17 million to keep the center afloat, which Beatty also said was not mentioned during the meeting.
Beatty also noted that at one point during the call, Trump said he would hold the congresswoman “personally responsible” if someone were injured in the building, which he said is falling apart.
Despite Beatty’s claim that the center will remain open, Kennedy Center representatives hailed the board’s decision to close immediately.
TRUMP VOWS TO DELAY KENNEDY CENTER RENOVATION UNTIL COURTS ALLOW HIS NAME ON VENUE
“The Board’s decision today reflects sound judgment and a clear prioritization of safety above all else. As the main building closes for urgent renovations — long overdue and desperately needed to protect the safety of patrons, artists and staff — the Center remains committed to pursuing a safe and efficient renovation through all legal means,” said Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations.
Also on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump’s name could not go on the facade of the building in any form, a lawsuit brought on by Beatty, who has repeatedly challenged the president’s plans for the center.