Overview
- Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell sent a letter saying the venue will seek $1 million in damages from jazz musician Chuck Redd, calling his last-minute withdrawal a costly political stunt.
- Redd, who has led the free Christmas Eve Jazz Jam since 2006, said he canceled after seeing President Donald Trump’s name added on the center’s website and building facade.
- The center’s board, stocked with Trump appointees, voted on Dec. 18 to add his name, and workers installed new exterior signage the next day reflecting the co-naming.
- Rep. Joyce Beatty has filed a federal suit challenging the change, as legal scholars and Kennedy family members argue the 1964 law bars adding another person’s name to the living memorial.
- A South Park writer preemptively bought TrumpKennedyCenter domain names for satire, and Trump publicized potential marble armrests for future renovations as artists and audiences continue to distance themselves.