After musicians began canceling shows at the Kennedy Center in protest of Trump’s takeover, the administration struck back hard.
Jazz musician Chuck Redd is now being threatened with a $1M lawsuit after he canceled his long-running Christmas Eve jazz concert. His reason was simple. He refused to perform at a venue that now carries Trump’s name.
The Kennedy Center, once known as a national home for the arts, has been rebranded as the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. That change alone pushed Redd to walk away after nearly 20 years of hosting his holiday show there.
Redd later explained that the choice became clear the moment he saw Trump’s name added to both the building and the center’s website.
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The response from the administration was harsh.
Kennedy Center leadership accused Redd of pulling a political stunt and claimed his decision caused financial harm. They are now threatening to sue him for a massive sum.
Redd’s exit, however, is far from an isolated case. One artist after another has chosen to leave the Kennedy Center behind.
Issa Rae canceled her sold-out show. Lin Manuel Miranda shut down the entire anniversary run of Hamilton. Rhiannon Giddens, Peter Wolf, and the band Low Cut Connie all made the same call. Even the American College Theatre Festival ended its partnership after nearly 60 years, signaling just how deep the fallout has become.
These are not fringe names. These are respected artists and institutions saying the same thing. They do not want to be used as decoration for Trump’s brand.
And that gets to the heart of the problem. This was never just about a name on a building. The Kennedy Center now hosts right wing gatherings, religious summits, and loyalty driven spectacles.
The irony is thick. The same people now demanding artists perform “for all audiences” are the ones who have spent years calling for boycotts, bans, and purges in schools and culture. Free expression suddenly matters only when it serves them.
Trump has always treated culture like a billboard, plastering his name across institutions, demanding praise, and punishing anyone who refuses to comply.
The backlash keeps growing because the decision is clearly unpopular. When Trump appeared at the Kennedy Center earlier this year, he was met with boos rather than applause, a rare sight at a venue meant to celebrate art, not politics. Since then, attendance has fallen and membership numbers have slipped.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
