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5d ago

Kennedy Center Chief Threatens $1 Million Claim After Christmas Eve Jazz Is Canceled Over Trump Renaming

The move faces legal challenges questioning the board's authority under Congress's JFK memorial designation.

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WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 08: Viewed from the observation level of the Washington Monument, demolition work continues where the East Wing once stood at the White House on December 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump ordered the 123-year-old East Wing and Jacqueline Kennedy Garden leveled to make way for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom that he says will cost around $300 million and will be paid for with private donations. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Longtime host Chuck Redd said he canceled the 20-plus-year Christmas Eve Jazz Jam after seeing President Donald Trump’s name added to the Kennedy Center’s website and façade.
  • Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell blasted the last-minute withdrawal in a letter shared with the Associated Press and said he would seek $1 million in damages.
  • The Trump‑appointed board voted on Dec. 18 to add the president’s name, and workers installed new exterior signage on Dec. 19, prompting a lawsuit by ex‑officio trustee Rep. Joyce Beatty challenging the board’s authority.
  • The Dec. 23 Kennedy Center Honors broadcast drew an estimated 2.65 million viewers, the event’s lowest audience on record, as a CBS memo instructed staff to continue using “Kennedy Center” absent Congressional approval.
  • Cultural fallout widened as artists and at least one partner distanced themselves, and comedy writer Toby Morton said he preemptively bought trumpkennedycenter.org and .com in August anticipating the rebrand.