Kennedy Center Christmas Eve Jazz Concert Canceled After Trump Renaming/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A beloved Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center was canceled after President Trump’s name was added to the building. Musician Chuck Redd withdrew from the decades-old event in protest. Legal experts say the renaming may violate federal law.
Kennedy Center Jazz Concert Fallout: Quick Looks
- Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump’s name added to Kennedy Center.
- Host Chuck Redd withdrew in protest, ending a tradition dating back over 20 years.
- The new name: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center.
- The change was approved by Trump’s appointed board, bypassing congressional approval.
- Federal law forbids renaming the Kennedy Center as a memorial to another individual.
- Kennedy family members and historians strongly oppose the name change.
- The Trump administration claims the move aligns with its anti-“woke” cultural push.
- Other artists like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Issa Rae have also canceled shows.
Deep Look: Trump Name Controversy Ends Beloved Kennedy Center Jazz Concert
NEW YORK — A long-running Kennedy Center tradition came to an abrupt end this holiday season after veteran jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled his Christmas Eve performance in protest of a controversial name change. The Kennedy Center, officially renamed last week to include President Donald Trump’s name on its facade, has become the center of cultural and political debate.
The building now reads: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts — a move pushed through by the White House via Trump’s handpicked board of trustees. According to legal scholars and former officials, the renaming may violate federal law that explicitly prevents the Kennedy Center from being made a memorial to anyone else or bearing another individual’s name on its exterior.
For Chuck Redd, the change was too much to ignore.
“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 wrote in an email to the Associated Press. Redd, a celebrated drummer and vibraphonist who has toured with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Brown, has hosted the Kennedy Center’s annual holiday “Jazz Jam” since 2006, following in the footsteps of bassist William “Keter” Betts.
The cancellation marks the first time in over 20 years the Christmas Eve jazz tradition will not take place.
A Legacy Rewritten?
The Kennedy Center was established as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963. Congress passed legislation in 1964 ensuring the center would forever honor the 35th U.S. president, and federal law prohibits it from memorializing any additional figures.
Kerry Kennedy, niece of President Kennedy, has spoken out strongly against the change and vowed to remove Trump’s name once he leaves office. Former House historian Ray Smock echoed these concerns, emphasizing that only Congress has the authority to change the designation of the memorial.
Despite this, the Trump administration moved forward with the alteration, claiming it reflects the president’s mission to combat what it calls “woke culture” in U.S. institutions. Critics argue it is yet another example of politicization of federal spaces and cultural icons.
Artists Boycott in Protest
The jazz concert isn’t the only casualty of the name change. Numerous artists and performers have withdrawn from Kennedy Center engagements since Trump’s return to office.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda canceled a scheduled production of Hamilton.
- Issa Rae and Peter Wolf also pulled out of planned events at the venue.
Their decisions follow a growing list of cultural figures who see the renaming as erasing the center’s original intent — to honor one of America’s most culturally significant presidents — and replacing it with political symbolism.
Trump, largely absent from Kennedy Center activities during his first term, has taken a more hands-on approach since his return to office. He has overhauled the institution’s leadership, installed loyalists on the board, and even hosted this year’s Kennedy Center Honors — a role presidents traditionally play as observers, not organizers.
Legal and Cultural Fallout
The legality of the name change remains in question. The federal statute establishing the Kennedy Center as a memorial to President Kennedy explicitly bars trustees from naming it after any other individual. Legal experts say the addition of Trump’s name — despite being symbolically presented alongside Kennedy’s — violates both the spirit and letter of that law.
While the White House maintains that the board had the authority to make the decision, many disagree.
The Kennedy Center has not publicly commented on the concert cancellation or the controversy surrounding the name change.
As the renamed building casts a new light on the future of federal cultural institutions, what was once a joyous annual celebration of jazz and holiday spirit has now become a flashpoint in a wider cultural and political battle.
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