Trump-Kennedy Center filing $1M lawsuit against musician who pulled out of Christmas Eve concert over name change

The Trump‑Kennedy Center’s president has announced that drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd will face a $1 million lawsuit over his abrupt decision to cancel the venue’s long‑running “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam.”

The event, a holiday staple that Redd has hosted for several years, was pulled last week when Redd said he would not perform after the Center’s board added President Donald Trump’s name to the building. In a letter that The Post obtained, President Richard Grenell warned that the Center intends to pursue “damages” against Redd for abandoning the show “for partisan political reasons.”

“Our 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.

He added that Redd’s move “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 also noted that past attendance for the Jazz Jam had been “lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings.” He contrasted Redd’s show with the “most avant‑garde and well‑regarded performers in your genre” who, he claimed, have continued to draw sold‑out crowds regardless of their political leanings.

According to Grenell, the sudden cancellation and the venue’s “dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support” have cost the Center considerably. He concluded with the warning that the Center will seek $1 million in damages for what he calls a “political stunt.”

Redd did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The vote to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump was announced by the board of trustees on Dec. 18, a decision that sparked backlash from critics and prompted several high‑profile artists to decline to perform at the venue. In his statement to the Associated Press, Redd said, “When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.”

Lin‑Manuel Miranda has joined others in announcing that they will not stage musical productions, concerts, or events at the renamed center, citing the Trump‑led changes to the venue’s board, including his appointment as chairman.

“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,” said Roma Daravi, the Center’s VP of Public Relations. “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.”

Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.