Donald Trump’s attempt to turn the Kennedy Center into a MAGA trophy just suffered another embarrassing setback.
The Washington National Opera has filed a lawsuit demanding the return of more than $17 million, adding yet another chapter to what has become one of the most chaotic and self-inflicted culture-war disasters of Trump’s presidency.
The lawsuit says the Trump-controlled Kennedy Center is refusing to return millions of dollars that donors specifically intended to support the opera’s work.
According to the filing, money that was donated for opera performances, artists, and educational programs is now at the center of a major legal fight after Trump’s takeover sent the institution into turmoil.
The disputed funds represent years of contributions from donors who believed their money would permanently support the Washington National Opera and its mission.
Now donors want the money back. And it’s not hard to see why.
Ever since Trump seized control of the Kennedy Center in early 2025, the institution has been trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of controversy, lawsuits, resignations, canceled performances, donor backlash, and public ridicule.
The president promised he would save the Kennedy Center from what he called “woke” programming.
Instead, he appears to have driven away artists, alienated donors, triggered multiple legal battles, and helped create one of the biggest public-relations disasters in the performing arts world.
The latest lawsuit lands just days after a federal judge delivered another major blow to Trump’s ambitions.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump and his handpicked board lacked the authority to rename the Kennedy Center after himself. The court found that only Congress has the power to change the name of the federally chartered institution.
The judge also blocked plans tied to Trump’s proposed overhaul of the center, describing parts of the effort as legally flawed and improperly executed.
Trump allies are now scrambling to safe face.
Meanwhile, the Washington National Opera is asking a court to order the Kennedy Center to hand over more than $17 million tied to an endowment built over decades by opera supporters.
According to the complaint, donors contributed the money with a clear understanding: it would support opera programming.
Not political battles. Not culture-war crusades. And certainly not a Trump takeover.
The lawsuit argues that those donor intentions should still matter.
At this point, the Kennedy Center saga has become a perfect example of what happens when a politician tries to wage a culture war against an institution that was functioning perfectly well without him.
