After a musician allegedly dropped out of playing at the Kennedy Center this week over its recent name change, the president of the center is seeking $1 million in damages, according to reports.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Dec. 18 X post that “the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center,” voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, in honor of President Donald Trump. She said that the board decided to change the name “because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building.”
This Friday, Trump shared photos samples for new armrests at the center.
“Potential Marble armrests for the seating at The Trump Kennedy Center,” he said. “Unlike anything ever done or seen before!”
However, the move was met with nearly immediate backlash, particularly from members of family of the late President John F. Kennedy, who the Washington D.C. arts center was named for. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also a member of that family, serves as the head of the Heath and Human Services Department under Trump.
“The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law,” said Joe Kennedy III on X. “It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”
“The Kennedy Center was named after my uncle, President John F Kennedy,” said Maria Shriver on Instagram. “It was named in his honor. He was a man who was interested in the arts, interested in culture, interested in education, language, history. He brought the arts into the White House, and he and my Aunt Jackie amplified the arts, celebrated the arts, stood up for the arts and artists.”
She added that “it is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy. It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) – who is listed as one of the “Ex Officio Members Designated by Act of Congress” of the Kennedy Center, per its website – has also refuted that the move to rename the center was unanimous. She claims that she was muted during the call and has filed a lawsuit to change the name back.
While there has been pushback, the name has been changed to the Trump-Kennedy Center on the building and on its website. When he saw this change, musician Chuck Redd decided to cancel his annual Dec. 24 Christmas Jazz Jam at the center, he told the Associated Press. He’s hosted events there since 2006.
“The left is boycotting the Arts because Trump is supporting the Arts. But we will not let them cancel shows without consequences,” said Trump-Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell in a Dec. 26 X post linked to an article about Redd’s cancellation. “The Arts are for everyone – and the Left is mad about it.”
He also wrote what Fox News Digital called a “sharply” critical letter to Redd. NPR described the letter as “scathing.” He has also asked Redd to pay $1 million in damages to the non-profit institution, Fox News Digital said.
“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 in the letter. He called Redd’s decision to cancel a “political stunt.”
Redd is among several artists who have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center since Trump began his second term, according to Fox News Digital. Another cited by the outlet is Lin-Manuel Miranda, who reportedly called off a production of “Hamilton” there.
"Any artist canceling 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,” said Roma Daravi, VP of public relations for the Kennedy Center, in a statement cited by Fox News Digital.