Donald Trump Administration Fights Release of Natalie Harp Texts Amid Disputed Kennedy Center Closure Plan

Lawyers for Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty have pressed a federal judge in Washington to order production of withheld Kennedy Center records, including text messages between presidential aide Natalie Harp and the venue's executive director, as a legal battle over its closure continues.

The latest development came on Sunday, 25 October, when Beatty's lawyers filed a notice drawing attention to a list of documents that the Trump administration says are protected by presidential communications privilege. The dispute follows repeated board votes to close the Kennedy Center's main building for a two-year renovation project.

The list, provided to Beatty's lawyers on 23 October, identifies communications about the institution's operations, renovation plans and trustees' decisions. The messages themselves have not been disclosed, and their contents cannot be inferred from their dates or descriptions.

Texts Coincided With Closure Vote

Among the withheld records are 19 text messages exchanged between Harp, an executive assistant to President Donald Trump, and Kennedy Center executive director Matt Floca between 18 June and 15 September.

According to the court filing, 11 were exchanged on 15 September, the same day the board voted for a third time to close the institution. The following day, Floca announced a separate temporary closure of the main building, citing structural deterioration and concerns about public safety.

Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves on the board in an ex officio capacity, is challenging decisions surrounding the centre's management and proposed shutdown. Her lawyers argue that the messages could establish whether trustees independently assessed the renovation plan or endorsed a course already settled by others.

They describe Trump's contact with Kennedy Center management as 'near-constant', directly or through intermediaries. That is the legal team's interpretation of the records, not a finding by the court. The existence of messages does not establish that Harp issued instructions or that anyone acted improperly.

The notice also identifies roughly 180 text messages between Floca and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, exchanged from 30 May to 15 September. Beatty's lawyers describe Lutnick as an intermediary for Trump, although the correspondence itself remains undisclosed.

Other withheld material includes emails discussing the centre's financial outlook, litigation risks and plans for the Kennedy Center Honors, along with correspondence concerning a presidential meeting in July.

Privilege Fight Tests Scope of Presidential Role

Trump is both US president and chairman of the Kennedy Center's board. That overlap is central to the disagreement over whether confidential communications about the institution qualify for presidential protection.

Trump formally asserted presidential communications privilege earlier in October. His administration argues that the president's official responsibilities, including appointing trustees, require him to obtain information and consult advisers about the centre's operations.

Beatty's lawyers contend that discussions about his activities as board chairman should not automatically be shielded from discovery. They also dispute the breadth of the privilege claims, which cover nine categories of withheld records. Attorney-client privilege and work-product protection have additionally been asserted over portions of some material.

The legal dispute follows an earlier ruling in May by US District Judge Christopher Cooper that the Kennedy Center board had acted unlawfully in adding Trump's name to the building. The court ordered the name removed, and the centre subsequently appealed.

Concerns about the building's future intensified after its September closure. Trump has described the venue as dangerous and warned that it could eventually be torn down without substantial renovation. On 17 September, Cooper required advance notice of major changes to the renovation plans, including possible demolition.

On 26 October, a White House official told The Washington Post that Trump's confidential discussions should remain protected, defending his involvement in the centre's affairs. The Kennedy Center and Commerce Department did not immediately respond to the newspaper's enquiries.

As of 26 October, Cooper had not ruled on the privilege dispute. Any order compelling production of the records would not necessarily make their contents public.