The president of the Kennedy Center sharply criticized longtime jazz musician Chuck Redd on Friday after Redd canceled his Christmas Eve performance—just days after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the performing arts institution in Washington, D.C.
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell said the cancellation financially harmed the nonprofit and claimed it was a “political stunt,” adding that he would seek $1 million in damages.
“Your 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 in a letter to Redd, obtained by Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Redd for comment.
Redd, who has hosted holiday Jazz Jams at the venue since 2006, pulled out of his Christmas Eve appearance after Trump’s name was added to the facility.
“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 told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
On Dec. 18, the Kennedy Center’s board voted unanimously to rename the institution the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
The move drew immediate criticism from members of the Kennedy family, who argued the change undercut the legacy of President John F. Kennedy. Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s niece, said the decision was “beyond comprehension.”
Redd is not the only artist to step away from the venue since Trump’s return to office. Several performers have canceled appearances, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who called off a production of “Hamilton.”
Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi told Fox News Digital on Friday that Redd was turning art into a political statement by canceling.
“Any artist canceling 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,” she said in a statement.
Daravi added that art is meant to bring people together, describing the venue as “a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds.” She also said “great art transcends politics,” and emphasized that “America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
Last week, workers added President Trump’s name to the building’s exterior, and the website header was updated to read, “The Trump Kennedy Center.”
