Trump is not tolerating any liberal nonsense.
A jazz musician who abruptly abandoned a long-running Christmas Eve performance at the Trump–Kennedy Center is now facing a potential $1 million lawsuit, after venue leadership accused him of staging a last-minute political protest that caused significant financial damage.
The annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, a holiday tradition for Washington audiences, was canceled after musician Chuck Redd withdrew just days before the event. Redd said he pulled out in response to President Donald Trump’s name being added to the iconic cultural institution.
According to venue officials, the sudden cancellation blindsided staff, ticket holders, and donors.
In a letter obtained by the New York Post, Trump–Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell informed Redd that the nonprofit plans to seek $1 million in damages, citing breach of responsibility and politically motivated conduct.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly due to the Center’s renaming honoring President Trump’s efforts to preserve this national treasure — reflects intolerance and has proven costly to a nonprofit arts institution,” Grenell wrote.
Grenell also criticized what he described as growing political pressure from left-wing activists encouraging performers to boycott the nation’s premier publicly supported cultural venue.
The Trump–Kennedy Center president noted that attendance for the Jazz Jam had already been lagging compared to other holiday performances, but said the eleventh-hour cancellation worsened the financial impact.
“The contrast between declining interest in your event and the broader success we are experiencing under new leadership is stark,” Grenell stated.
He added that respected artists across the jazz world continue to perform at the venue to sold-out crowds, regardless of political affiliation.
Venue leadership further cited weak ticket sales, limited donor support, and the abrupt cancellation as factors that caused measurable losses.
“This letter serves as formal notice that the Center will seek $1 million in damages for this political stunt,” Grenell concluded.
Redd did not respond to requests for comment.
The controversy follows a December 18 announcement that the board of trustees unanimously approved adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, a move that sparked backlash from progressive activists and entertainers.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Redd said he chose to cancel after seeing the updated name displayed online and on the building.
Other performers, including Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, have also announced boycotts following changes to the Center’s board, including Trump naming himself chairman.
Trump–Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi pushed back strongly, saying art should serve the public — not political ideology.
“Artists who cancel performances over political disagreements are not acting courageously,” Daravi said. “They are excluding audiences and abandoning the fundamental responsibility of public art.”
She added that the Trump–Kennedy Center remains committed to welcoming artists and patrons from all backgrounds.
“Art is meant to bring Americans together,” Daravi said. “This institution will continue delivering programming that resonates with the public — beyond politics.”
