InFrame

Barbra Streisand Condemns Trump’s “Unchecked Ego” in Kennedy Center Dispute

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 07: In this handout photo provided by NBCUniversal, Presenter Barbra Streisand speaks onstage during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo Credit: (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

by Chris Tremblay  Sep 18

Barbra Streisand has criticized President Donald Trump over the ongoing dispute involving the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., describing the institution’s treatment as “galling and painful to witness.”

In a statement published Thursday on her official website, Streisand said she was indignant that the Kennedy Center had become the focus of “such a bitter struggle over one man’s name and unchecked ego.”

Streisand’s comments came after a federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center board from adding Trump’s name to the building’s facade and from renaming the surrounding grounds the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”

The dispute has combined questions about the center’s legal name, its governance, a proposed renovation and the future of programming at one of the United States’ most prominent arts institutions.

The Federal Court Ruling



U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled on September 15 that the Kennedy Center board could not install a memorial to Trump or otherwise place his name on the institution without congressional authorization.

“Simply put,” Cooper wrote, “Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing.”

The ruling rejected a proposal to add an inscription stating that the building had been “renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump,” as well as a plan to rename the campus surrounding the center.

Cooper had previously ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the building’s facade, finding that changing the institution’s official name required action by Congress.

The judge also criticized what he characterized as attempts by the board to use different wording to accomplish a result barred by the court’s earlier order and the governing statute.

Closure and Renovation Dispute



The court ruling was followed by a vote by the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board to close most of the performing arts venue.

The board’s action came only hours after the judge blocked the latest effort to place Trump’s name on the building.

The administration and the board have linked the closure question to a proposed renovation, while the court has examined whether the decision to shut the center was made independently and in accordance with the trustees’ responsibilities.

Reuters reported that Cooper had previously blocked an effort to close the institution for renovation, calling the decision “taken in dereliction of the trustees’ duty of prudence.”

The judge later indicated that the board could consider another closure if it made a “considered, independent decision.”

Trump has said the Kennedy Center could remain closed unless his name is permitted to appear in connection with the institution and its renovation plans.

Reports have also described Trump as warning that the center could be “ripped down” if his conditions concerning recognition and renovation were not met.

Streisand’s Connection to the Institution



Streisand wrote that she had been deeply honored to be included in the 31st annual class of Kennedy Center Honorees in 2008.

The Kennedy Center Honors recognize artists for contributions to American culture through the performing arts, and Streisand has been identified in coverage of the dispute as a former honoree of the institution.

In her statement, Streisand contrasted the current controversy with the center’s founding purpose and with former President John F. Kennedy’s association with artistic freedom.

She wrote that the Kennedy Center was intended to honor Kennedy and promote his belief that artistic achievement is important to a free society.

Streisand further stated that Kennedy believed society loses vitality when creative impulses are not allowed to flourish freely.

Her remarks addressed the institution’s cultural mission rather than presenting a legal argument about the court’s authority.

A Wider Institutional Conflict



The name dispute reflects a broader conflict over who has authority to determine the Kennedy Center’s identity and operations.

Congress established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, and the court has held that the board cannot unilaterally alter that memorial designation to honor another president.

The board’s proposals sought to distinguish between formally renaming the institution and adding language recognizing Trump’s role in renovation work.

Cooper rejected that distinction for purposes of the latest proposal, ruling that the inscription and plaza name could not proceed without congressional approval.

The court proceedings have unfolded alongside arguments over the center’s finances, renovation needs, public programming and the conduct of its board.

The closure vote has raised additional questions about whether the institution can continue performances and other public activities while the legal dispute remains unresolved.

As of September 18, the court had blocked the latest attempt to add Trump’s name, while litigation and disputes over the center’s closure and renovation plans continued.

Streisand’s intervention placed a prominent former honoree among the cultural figures publicly criticizing the handling of the Kennedy Center, but the court’s orders—not her statement—will determine the immediate legal limits on the board’s actions.

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