The president of Washington DC's prestigious Kennedy Center has launched a fierce legal and verbal attack on a veteran musician, demanding $1 million in damages after he cancelled a long-standing Christmas Eve performance in protest at the venue being renamed after former US President Donald Trump.
A Sudden Cancellation Sparks Legal Threat
Drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd made the decision to pull his annual Holiday Jazz Jam just days after the White House announced that the arts complex would bear Trump's name. The musician, who has presided over the popular event since 2006, said he acted after seeing the new name appear on the centre's website and building.
In a sharply worded letter shared with the Associated Press, the Kennedy Center's president, Richard Grenell, a Trump ally appointed by the former president, accused Redd of "classic intolerance". Grenell stated the last-minute withdrawal, explicitly linked to the renaming which honours Trump's "extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure", was a costly "political stunt" for the non-profit institution.
Legal Controversy and a Vowed Reversal
The renaming itself is mired in controversy. The centre was established by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated the previous year. Legal scholars and historians, including former House historian Ray Smock, argue that the law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the centre a memorial to anyone else or placing another person's name on the building's exterior.
The White House claims Trump's handpicked board approved the change. However, Kennedy's niece, Kerry Kennedy, has already vowed to remove Trump's name from the building once he leaves office. Grenell was installed as president after Trump forced out the previous leadership.
The End of a Holiday Tradition
Expressing his sadness, Redd told the AP that the Jazz Jam had become a "very popular holiday tradition". He highlighted that the event often featured at least one student musician, making its cancellation particularly regrettable. The drummer succeeded bassist William "Keter" Betts in running the concert series.
As of now, Redd has not publicly responded to the $1 million damages claim. The standoff highlights the deep cultural and political divisions in the US, where even iconic cultural institutions are becoming battlegrounds, and where actions of protest can carry severe financial repercussions.
