Congresswoman Joyce Beatty Left With Egg On Her Face After Suing Donald Trump
Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty was caught in a gaffe after suing President Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center board.
Beatty claimed she was excluded from an upcoming March 16 meeting, where plans to overhaul the Kennedy Center are expected to be formalized, The Hill reported.
She filed a lawsuit against the administration, but records later showed she had been invited: The email landed in her spam folder, according to her lawyers.
TOPSHOT – U.S. President Donald Trump stands in the presidential box as he visits the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, March 17, 2025. Trump was named president of the Kennedy Center on February 12, 2025, as a new board loyal to the U.S. president brought his aggressive right-wing, anti-‘woke’ stamp to Washington’s premier arts venue. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Beatty filed court papers in early March, but the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued she had received an invitation. Beatty’s lawyer later confirmed that the invitation had landed in the congresswoman’s spam folder.
Her lawyers responded saying, “Plaintiff appreciates defendants’ confirmation that she can attend the meeting at the White House,” noting that the emailed invitation had been found.
They continued to rail against the Trump administration, saying it “worth pointing out” that Kennedy Center executive director Richard Grenell and the organization’s general counsel “ignored her for two days,” according to court documents.
In today’s edition of Washington, it’s Veep: A Democratic congresswoman has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump for, in part, excluding her from an upcoming Kennedy Center board meeting. It turned out the invitation was in his spam folder. Aide posted an update today: pic.twitter.com/iJ0WnE4yrT
– Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) March 12, 2026
Beatty doubled down by telling reporters that his board meeting invitations were usually sent to his official scheduler and chief of staff, but this particular invitation was sent to a personal email address before ending up in spam, The Hill reported. (RELATED: Richard Grenell rescinds Béla Fleck’s apology for walking away from Kennedy Center performance)
“I doubt there’s a single person here whose email hasn’t disappeared into a spam filter somewhere,” attorney Norm Eisen told reporters after Thursday’s court hearing.
“But the important thing is that the congresswoman was controlled and they remained silent,” Eisen added.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH) arrives at a press conference in support of the Federal Reserve before the U.S. Supreme Court on January 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Trump v. Cook. The landmark case centers on President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, testing the legal limits of presidential power and the independence of the central bank. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Beatty is an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center.
“Certainly, the plaintiff will not be allowed to vote,” DOJ attorney William Jankowski said, according to The Hill.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 15: U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. During the ceremony, Trump recognized the first 13 service members to receive the recently established Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM), which recognizes service members supporting customs and border protection on the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“But it is because, according to the statutes of the Center and the established procedure, ex-officio administrators do not have the right to vote,” he continued.
Beatty wanted to speak and vote on the Kennedy Center renovation. She previously sued Trump and other board members in December for attempts to “rename, close and gut” the Kennedy Center, The Hill reported.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper reportedly listened to arguments Thursday regarding Beatty’s request for a temporary restraining order.
