Trump's Kennedy Center ally hits musician with $1M demand over Christmas Eve cancelation

[LetMyPeopleVote]

This lawsuit will be interesting to follow. The artist contracted to perform in the Kennedy Center and that name no longer exists.

Trump's Kennedy Center ally hits musician with M demand over Christmas Eve cancelation

— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2025-12-27T02:00:41.533Z

https://www.rawstory.com/kennedy-center-2674831343

The president of the Kennedy Center’s board is once again lashing out at critics of President Donald Trump – this time targeting a veteran jazz musician who abruptly canceled a Christmas Eve performance following the center’s MAGA-style renaming to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”

Richard Grenell, a Trump ally who has led the board since February, blasted musician Chuck Redd after the drummer and vibraphonist withdrew from his long-running holiday “Jazz Jams” performance at the venue, a tradition he has overseen since 2006, Politico reported Friday.

In a sharply worded letter shared with The Associated Press, Grenell accused Redd of engaging in “classic intolerance” and called the cancellation a “political stunt” that he claimed would cause significant financial harm to the nonprofit arts institution.

“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 the letter, adding that he intends to seek $1 million in damages over the last-minute withdrawal.

Redd told the AP on the day of his scheduled performance that he canceled the performance after seeing Trump’s name added to the building and website.

“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 said, as reported by Politico.

If this case goes to trial before a DC jury, it will be fun to see what happens.

[sunflowerseed]

1. Blind hypocrisy

[odins folly]

2. This right here:

“political stunt” that he claimed would cause significant financial harm to the nonprofit arts institution.

Sounds like he should sue shitbag for the million bucks…

[C_U_L8R]

3. Ridiculous

No artist or their management should book there again
until these idiots are tossed out of town.

There are plenty of venues that won’t attack the talent.

[newdeal2]

4. They could "perform" and just play diss tracks

That would be a novel way to fulfill their contracts and give Donnie the finger.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. This will *really* get more artists to want to perform at the already scorned and blacklisted Trump Kennedy Center.

This will *really* get more artists to want to perform at the already scorned and blacklisted Trump Kennedy Center.

The petty bitches in the Trump administration are smart that way.

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T18:16:06.222Z

I suspect that Chuck Redd's contract required him to appear at a venue called "The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts." Since such a named venue does not currently exist, how could he fulfill his contract obligations? Therefore, how is there a breach by him?

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T19:01:42.998Z

[UTUSN]

6. Question for the Legal eagles - can't an argument for dismissal be

that the contract was with the Kennedy Center, not the current, possibly illegal entity such that breach of contract is not an issue? This would seem to remove the current occupants' potential argument that there is some ideological malice involved. Isn't the legal status of the name change already or soon-to-be challenged referencing the original law establishing the place?

[TomSlick]

7. I'm skeptical. I would expect any contracts with the Kennedy Center to survive the name change.

The argument that the name change was illegal is illogical. If the name change was illegal, then the contract with the Kennedy Center was unaffected by the name change.

Proof of damages will be problematic. The misnamed arts center would have to prove what net income was lost by the cancellation. If ticket sales have dropped since the name change, it may be that the the misnamed arts center was actually saved from a net loss.

[Initech]

9. All these assholes do is sue people.

Trump would be literally nothing if he didn't abuse the courts daily. Good thing MAGA has their army of lawyers ready at the will when they have meltdowns and temper tantrums, because nobody would listen to the screaming babies otherwise.

[TomSlick]

10. Fortunately, the MAGA lawyers are usually incompetent.

[Initech]

11. That is true!

[Initech]

8. Oh go get royally fucked, assholes!

Trump can go shove his main character bullshit where it doesn't shine!