The head of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC is seeking $1 million (£740,000) in damages from a musician who canceled a concert after Donald Trump’s name was added to the venue.
Jazz musician Chuck Redd called off his annual Christmas Eve performance, which he had hosted since 2006, after the board voted to rename the venue the Trump Kennedy Center. In a letter to Redd, Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell described the cancellation as a “political stunt” that caused significant financial losses.
Grenell said Trump had removed several board members after taking office and replaced them with allies, who later voted to make Trump chairman of the board. He accused Redd of intolerance and claimed weak ticket sales, lack of donor support, and the last-minute cancellation cost the nonprofit heavily. Grenell said the center would pursue $1 million in damages.
Last week, the White House confirmed the board had unanimously approved renaming the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Shortly after, Trump’s name was added to the building, website, and social media accounts. The White House said the change recognized Trump’s role in renovating the center, but the decision drew criticism from Democrats, artists, and members of the Kennedy family.
Redd said he canceled the concert after seeing Trump’s name added to the website and building. Meanwhile, Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit arguing that changing the center’s name requires an act of Congress, since it was established by law in 1964.