Kennedy Center jazz concert canceled after Trump renaming
A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at Washington’s Kennedy Center was canceled after the institution added U.S. President Donald Trump’s name to its official title, the longtime host of the event said.
The Kennedy Center’s board voted last week to rename the landmark The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a move that has sparked political backlash and legal questions, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Musician Chuck Redd, who has hosted the annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam since 2006, said he decided to cancel the concert after learning of the name change. The Kennedy Center’s website later listed the event as canceled. Redd does not currently plan to reschedule the performance, according to U.S. media reports.
The decision to add Trump’s name followed a sweeping leadership overhaul earlier this year, after the president replaced board members appointed by former President Joe Biden, assumed the role of chairman, and appointed longtime ally Richard Grenell as the center’s president.
Critics argue the renaming politicizes one of the nation’s most prominent cultural institutions, while Trump has defended the changes as part of a broader effort to counter what he describes as liberal bias in public institutions.
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