Trump Invokes Executive Privilege in Kennedy Center Case

President Donald Trump has invoked executive privilege in a court case regarding his management of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In a court filing on October 15, 2026, Joshua Hoyt, a deputy assistant and deputy counsel to the president, stated that he was formally invoking the presidential communications privilege concerning information requested by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio. Beatty, an ex officio board member of the center, is challenging Trump's efforts to add his name to the building and his directive to close the center for renovations. Trump named himself to the board last year and was subsequently voted chairman by his selected board members. In February, he directed the center to close for renovations, stating that those renovations would not proceed without recognition for his efforts. Beatty argues that the board's votes to close the center were predetermined by Trump's directive. Hoyt's filing indicates that the invocation of executive privilege means Beatty is not entitled to further details regarding Trump's management of the nonprofit board. The privilege covers communications between the President, his advisors, and Kennedy Center staff related to the center's management. The Justice Department, in a separate filing, claimed that Beatty was conducting an improper 'fishing expedition' for irrelevant evidence. Beatty's attorneys countered that the DOJ's actions were extraordinary, asserting that Trump's self-appointment as chair of the board should not shield his management from scrutiny. They emphasized that the Supreme Court has indicated that executive privilege should not be invoked lightly. Earlier filings indicated that Trump would claim executive privilege, but he did not formally do so until the recent court filing. Beatty's attorneys argued that there were no grounds for claiming privilege since Trump is a defendant in the case as chairman of the board, not as president.