A longstanding Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a cherished tradition spanning over two decades, has been abruptly canceled.
Musician Chuck Redd, who has hosted the event for years, decided to call off the performance following the White House's announcement that President Donald Trump's name would be added to the facility. As reported by Breitbart, the building now bears the name The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a change approved by the president's handpicked board.
This decision has sparked controversy, with scholars arguing it contravenes existing law. President Trump had been considering a name change for the center for several months.
"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 explained in an email to The Associated Press. Redd, a seasoned drummer and vibraphone player, has been at the helm of the holiday "Jazz Jams" since 2006, taking over from bassist William "Keter" Betts. The Kennedy Center has yet to comment on the situation, and its website currently lists the concert as canceled.
The Kennedy Center was established as a living memorial to President Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, with Congress passing a law the following year to honor him. Kerry Kennedy, Kennedy's niece, has pledged to remove Trump's name from the building once he leaves office, while former House historian Ray Smock insists that any alterations require Congressional approval.
The law explicitly forbids the board of trustees from transforming the center into a memorial for anyone else or placing another person's name on its exterior.
President Trump, a Republican, has taken a keen interest in the center, which bears the name of a prominent Democrat, after largely ignoring it during his first term. He has replaced its leadership, revamped the board, and assumed the role of its head, personally hosting this year's Kennedy Center honors.
These actions align with the president's broader initiative to challenge "woke" culture within federal cultural institutions. In response to these changes, numerous artists, including Issa Rae, Peter Wolf, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, have canceled their performances at the Kennedy Center.
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