A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at Washington’s Kennedy Center — a holiday tradition spanning more than two decades — has been canceled following the decision to add President Donald Trump’s name to the performing arts complex.
The show’s host, veteran jazz musician Chuck Redd, said he called off the performance after the White House announced last week that Trump’s name would be incorporated into the facility’s official title.
As of last Friday, the building’s facade reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The White House said the decision was approved by the president’s handpicked board.
Host cites name change as reason
“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 reportedly told The Associated Press in an email on Wednesday.
Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has toured with jazz legends including Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Brown, has led the Kennedy Center’s holiday “Jazz Jams” since 2006. He took over the role from bassist William “Keter” Betts.
Legal and historical concerns
The Kennedy Center was designated a living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963, with Congress passing legislation in 1964 to formalize its status. That law explicitly bars the board of trustees from turning the center into a memorial for anyone else or placing another individual’s name on the building’s exterior.
Kennedy’s niece, Kerry Kennedy, has vowed to remove Trump’s name from the building once he leaves office. Former House historian Ray Smock and others have argued that any such change would require congressional approval.
Trump’s expanding role at the Kennedy Center
Although Trump largely ignored the Kennedy Center during his first term, he has taken a far more active role since returning to office. He removed leadership appointed under former President Joe Biden, overhauled the board, installed loyalists, and arranged for himself to serve as chairman.
Trump also personally hosted this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, breaking a long-standing tradition in which presidents typically attend as spectators rather than hosts. His administration has framed the changes as part of a broader effort to combat what it calls “woke” culture within federally supported arts institutions.
Artists pull back amid backlash
The cancellation of the Christmas Eve jazz concert comes amid a wider backlash from the arts community. Several artists have withdrawn from planned Kennedy Center appearances since Trump returned to office, including Issa Rae and Peter Wolf. Lin-Manuel Miranda also canceled a scheduled production of Hamilton.
Critics say Trump is seeking to put his personal stamp on Washington institutions by installing loyalists and using funding leverage, potentially undermining their independence. Trump, for his part, argues that he is addressing what he sees as entrenched liberal bias within cultural institutions.
Leadership shake-up
As part of the overhaul, Trump ousted board members appointed by Biden and appointed longtime ally Richard Grenell, a former US ambassador to Germany, as the Kennedy Center’s president. The moves have intensified debate over the future direction of one of America’s most prominent cultural landmarks.
