The Trump-Kennedy Center is pursuing a $1 million lawsuit against jazz musician Chuck Redd after he withdrew from his annual Christmas Eve concert at the last minute, citing the recent addition of President Trump’s name to the venue.
Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has performed with legends including Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Brown, had hosted the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam at the Kennedy Center since 2006. He took over the tradition from bassist William “Keter” Betts and maintained it for nearly two decades. This year marked an abrupt departure from that longstanding commitment.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd told The Associated Press. The decision came shortly after the venue was renamed when the board voted to honor Trump’s role in what center officials describe as saving the national cultural institution, which had reportedly been in disrepair prior to Trump’s intervention.
Trump-Kennedy Center leadership characterized Redd’s 11th-hour cancellation as a politically motivated stunt that created a significant financial burden on the nonprofit arts institution.
Trump-Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell sent Redd a letter stating that the institution plans to seek damages for his decision to abandon his hosting duties, citing “partisan political reasons.”
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” Grenell wrote. He argued that Redd’s move “surrenders to the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left, who have sought to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center.”
The center’s leadership suggests Redd’s event had been struggling for some time. Grenell noted that attendance for the Jazz Jam had been “lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings.” He drew a sharp contrast between the reception of Redd’s programming and the venue’s success under new leadership.
“The contrast between the public’s lack of interest in your show with the success we are experiencing under our new chairman is drastic,” Grenell wrote. He maintained that “the most avant-garde and well-regarded performers in your genre will still perform regularly, and unlike you, they’ll do it to sold out crowds regardless of their political leanings.”
The Trump-Kennedy Center’s position is that artists have a responsibility to perform for all audiences, regardless of political differences. Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi framed the issue in stark terms when speaking to The New York Post.
“Any artist cancelling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled — they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people,” Daravi explained. She added that the venue remains committed to presenting diverse programming that transcends political divisions.
“Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude,” Daravi added. “The Trump-Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds — great art transcends politics, and America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
The lawsuit represents a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between some artists and the renamed venue. While the center has seen considerable success with other programming during the holiday season, Redd’s last-minute cancellation left organizers scrambling and attendees disappointed on what is traditionally one of the most celebrated nights of the year for the center.
The legal action signals that the Trump-Kennedy Center is prepared to hold artists accountable when contractual obligations are abandoned for political reasons. Whether other performers will take note of this hardline stance remains to be seen.
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