Lawmaker Seeks Court Order For Trump Kennedy Center Texts And Emails
On October 25, 2026, Rep. Joyce Beatty's attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington to order the Trump administration to turn over Kennedy Center emails, texts and related documents.[1]
The administration is withholding the records on claims of presidential communications privilege, Beatty's lawyers say the messages directly bear on whether the center's planned closure and renovations were lawful.[1] A records list cited by Beatty's team shows 19 texts between Kennedy Center CEO Matt Floca and Trump aide Natalie Harp and roughly 180 texts between Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about Kennedy Center matters.[1] Those messages include exchanges on September 15, 2026, when the center's board again voted to close the building.[1]
In May 2026, Judge Cooper ruled the Kennedy Center had illegally added former President Trump's name to the building and ordered it removed, and he later required the center to give 30 days' notice before major physical changes.[1] Beatty's filing frames the dispute as a test of how far presidential privilege can shield communications that critics say shaped operational choices at a federal cultural institution.
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📌 Key Facts
- On October 25, 2026, Rep. Joyce Beatty’s attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to order the Trump administration to turn over Kennedy Center-related documents, emails and texts.
- The administration is withholding the records on claims of presidential communications privilege; Beatty’s lawyers argue the communications directly bear on the legality of the center’s planned closure and renovations.
- A records list shows 19 texts between Kennedy Center CEO Matt Floca and Trump aide Natalie Harp and about 180 texts between Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick concerning Kennedy Center matters, including messages on September 15, 2026, when the board again voted to close the building.
- Judge Cooper previously ruled in May 2026 that the Kennedy Center illegally added Trump’s name to the building and ordered it removed, and later required 30 days’ notice before major physical changes.
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