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Kennedy Center Jazz Jam canceled.

New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Kennedy Center criticizes musician who canceled performance after Trump name added to building

December 26, 2025

The president of the Kennedy Center is criticizing musician Chuck Redd for canceling a Christmas Eve performance. Redd withdrew after the White House announced President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the venue. On Friday, the center’s president, Richard Grenell, called the decision “classic intolerance” and threatened to seek $1 million in damages. Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player, has led holiday “Jazz Jams” at the center since 2006. The renaming, approved by Trump’s board, reportedly violates a law prohibiting changes to the center’s dedication to President John F. Kennedy.

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FILE - A memorial wreath stands next to the bronze memorial bust by Robert Berks of President John F. Kennedy in the grand foyer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Nov. 22, 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Kennedy Center Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump name added to building

December 24, 2025

A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center has been canceled. Musician Chuck Redd, the show’s host, says he called off the performance after the White House announced President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility. The building’s facade now reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Scholars say this violates the law. The law prohibits the board from making the center a memorial to anyone else. Numerous artists have canceled performances since Trump returned to office, including Issa Rae and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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