Roma Daravi is vice president of public relations at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She previously served as a deputy communications director in the first Trump White House.
Case
After a federal judge barred two board-approved recognitions of him, Donald Trump spoke of the Kennedy Center's renovation and closure in terms of recognition for his administration. The White House and Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawyers describe what he meant differently.
Role at the time: Vice President of Public Relations of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in a televised interview on Real America's Voice's "Just the News, No Noise"
Statement summary
In a Sept. 16 interview on Real America's Voice's "Just the News, No Noise," Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi said nothing is being demolished. She told viewers to ignore media reports saying otherwise, stating that no one has said that coming from the institution.
“Nothing is being demolished. Ignore the media that is saying that because no one has ever said that coming from the institution. I can promise you that.”
The case's fixed reference point is President Trump's stated position that the Kennedy Center's closure and renovation depend on recognition for his administration, as expressed in his Sept. 15 Truth Social post and reaffirmed in his Sept. 16 remarks in Charlotte. Daravi says nothing is being demolished and tells viewers to disregard reports to the contrary, which disputes a description of the situation without saying whether tying the closure or renovation to recognition is justified or wrong. The closest competing label is defends_or_excuses, because she speaks for an institution whose board Trump chairs. That loses because the quoted words consist of her denial and her instruction to disregard the reports, and they do not say that the position or the closure is justified, acceptable or reasonable.
Statement dates: September 16, 2026
Statement dates: September 16, 2026
Statement dates: September 16, 2026
