Overview
- Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell sent host Chuck Redd a letter calling the last-minute cancellation a political stunt and said the venue will pursue $1 million in damages.
- Redd, who has led the annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam since 2006, said he withdrew after seeing the center’s website and exterior signage updated to add President Donald Trump’s name.
- The board voted on December 18 to append Trump’s name, the site and façade were updated within a day, and the White House described the vote as unanimous, a characterization disputed by Rep. Joyce Beatty.
- Beatty, an ex officio trustee, has filed a lawsuit challenging the board’s authority, while legal scholars note the 1964 statute bars adding another person’s name to the memorial without congressional action.
- Artists have canceled or distanced themselves from the venue and reports cite slumping ticket sales under the new leadership, underscoring the cultural and financial fallout from the renaming.