Trump-Kennedy Center Sues Jazz Musician for $1 Million Over Christmas Concert Withdrawal
The Trump-Kennedy Center is pursuing a $1 million lawsuit against jazz musician Chuck Redd after he abruptly canceled his performance at the venue’s Christmas Eve concert, citing political objections to the performing arts center’s recent renaming.
Redd, a veteran drummer and vibraphone player, had been scheduled to host the annual “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam,” a tradition he has led for several years. The event was ultimately canceled after his last-minute decision to pull out, which he attributed to the addition of former President Donald Trump’s name to the iconic Washington, D.C. venue.
“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 said Wednesday in a statement to the Associated Press.
The decision has prompted swift legal action from the center. In a letter obtained by The Post, Trump-Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell informed Redd that the institution plans to seek damages for what he described as a “political stunt.”
“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.
Grenell further accused Redd of succumbing to pressure from political activists.
“Regrettably, your action 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,” his letter continued.
Noting lagging sales, Grenell claimed that Redd's show had been underperforming.
“Attendance for the Jazz Jam, which you have hosted for the last several years, had been lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings,” Grenell stated.
“The contrast between the public’s lack of interest in your show with the success we are experiencing under our new chairman is drastic,” he added. “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.”
Grenell also cited the “dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support” as contributing to the financial toll of the last-minute cancellation and concluded his letter with notice of the center’s legal intentions.
“This is your official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt,” Grenell wrote.
The Trump-Kennedy Center has defended both the naming decision and its broader artistic mission. Controversy began on December 18, when the venue’s board of trustees announced it had unanimously voted to add Trump’s name to the building. The move sparked significant backlash from critics of the former president.
“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and other artists had previously indicated they would not participate in productions, concerts, or events at the center in protest of Trump’s leadership changes, including appointing himself chairman of the board.
In a statement to The Post, Trump-Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi criticized Redd’s decision to back out of the concert.
“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 said.
“Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude,” she 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.”
Redd has not publicly responded to the threatened lawsuit.