The Trump-Kennedy Center, overseen by President Donald Trump’s appointee Richard Grenell, has announced plans to pursue a $1 million lawsuit “after the holidays” against jazz musician Chuck Redd, following his cancellation of a Christmas Eve performance, reports Baltimore Chronicle via ABC News. The performance was called off after Trump’s name was added to the signage of the Washington, D.C.-based national cultural institution, which now bears both President John F. Kennedy’s and President Donald Trump’s names. The cancellation, originally scheduled for the evening of December 24, was listed on the center’s official website and came shortly after the renaming.
The potential lawsuit was announced in a letter from Grenell, the center’s president, addressed to Redd and obtained by ABC News. In the letter, Grenell criticized the musician’s decision, writing, “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. 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.”
Grenell further highlighted financial losses, stating, “Your dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support, combined with your last-minute cancellation has cost us considerably. This is your official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt.”
The circumstances surrounding Redd’s legal representation remain unclear. ABC News reached out to the musician for comment but did not receive a response. In a separate email to the Associated Press, which first reported the cancellation on Christmas Eve, Redd explained that he decided to cancel his scheduled performance after noticing the name change both on the Kennedy Center’s website and later on the building itself.
Roma Daravi, Vice President of PR at the Trump-Kennedy Center, told ABC News that “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.” She confirmed the center’s intention to file a complaint against Redd.
Daravi emphasized the cultural mission of the center, stating, “Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude. 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.”
Chuck Redd is a jazz drummer and vibraphonist who served as artist-in-residence at The Smithsonian Jazz Café in Washington, D.C. from 2004 to 2008 and was a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra for 15 years, according to the Trump-Kennedy Center’s official artist profile.
Earlier we wrote that Trump says US ‘knocked out’ major drug facility in Venezuela amid rising tensions.
