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The president of the Kennedy Center on Friday strongly criticized jazz musician Chuck Reed for canceling his Christmas Eve concert days after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the iconic performing arts institution in Washington, D.C.
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said Reed’s decision financially harmed the nonprofit, and he will seek $1 million in damages, accusing him of carrying out a “political stunt.”
“Your decision to withdraw at the last minute — in explicit response to the center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is classic and extremely costly bigotry for a nonprofit arts organization,” Grenell wrote in a letter to Reed, obtained by Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Redd for comment.
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Kennedy Center Chairman Richard Grenell has unleashed on Senate Democrats over allegations about his leadership of the cultural center and an investigation into its finances. (Chip Somodevila/Getty Images)
Reed, who had hosted Holiday Jazz Jams at the venue since 2006, abruptly canceled his Christmas Eve concert after Trump’s name was added to the facility.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and hours later in the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Reid told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
On December 18, the Kennedy Center Board of Directors voted unanimously to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center.
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Workers on a forklift stand near the letters “The Donald” above the sign at the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)
The update was immediately criticized by Kennedy family members who claimed it undermined the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.
Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s niece, reacted harshly to the decision, saying it was “beyond comprehension.”
Several performers have canceled their performances at the Kennedy Center since Trump returned to office, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who canceled a production of “Hamilton.”
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New banners, the Donald J. Trump Center and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, are unveiled at the Kennedy Center, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (Jacqueline Martin/AP Photo)
Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Dharavi told Fox News Digital Friday that Reed was politicizing art by canceling his performance.
She said in a statement: “Any artist who cancels his show at the Trump Kennedy Center because of political disagreements is not brave or principled, is selfish, intolerant and has failed to fulfill the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people.”
Dharavi stated that art is “a shared cultural experience that aims to unite, not exclude,” describing the venue as “a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons of all backgrounds.”
She added that “great art transcends politics,” and that “the American Cultural Center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
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Last week, workers added President Trump’s name to the building’s exterior, and the site’s header was updated to read the Trump Kennedy Center.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.