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Ric Grenell, President of the Trump Kennedy Center, is initiating legal action against jazz musician Chuck Redd after the cancellation of the annual “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam,” attributing the decision to what he calls Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).
Chuck Redd, who was set to host this year’s Christmas Eve concert, decided to call off the event after the Center’s board unanimously voted to rename the institution as “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
“Upon seeing the new name on the Kennedy Center’s website and later on the building itself, I felt compelled to cancel our concert,” Redd explained to the Associated Press on Wednesday, just hours before the event was to commence.
Grenell, who has been dedicated to revitalizing the center, is responding assertively to what he views as a politically charged cancellation.
“Your poor ticket sales and lack of donor support, coupled with your last-minute cancellation, have caused significant harm,” Grenell stated in a letter to Redd, which was obtained by Breitbart News on Friday. “Consider this your formal notice that we intend to seek $1 million in damages for this political maneuver.”
Grenell hammed the artist for hurting an institution created to promote the arts throughout the nation, not to serve as an insulated haven for liberal elites.
“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,” he wrote. “Regrettably, your action surrenders to the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left, who have sought to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center.”
Roma Daravi, Trump Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations, echoed Grenell, hammering Redd for elevating petty political grievances above art.
“Any artist cancelling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled — they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people,” Daravi said in a statement. “Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude. The Trump Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds — great art transcends politics, and America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
Grenell’s letter highlighted the lack of enthusiasm for Redd’s show, noting that “attendance for your Jazz Jam had been lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings, which have drawn strong crowds and enthusiastic response,” adding “the most avant-garde and well-regarded performers in your genre will still perform regularly, and unlike you, they’ll do it to sold out crowds regardless of their political leanings.”
The Center has long been a sanctuary for the ultra-liberal to gather and worship Democratic Party causes and radical social initiatives like DEI and the transgender agenda.
Prior leadership of the Trump Kennedy Center displayed a pattern of booking artists that betrayed its greater interest in politics than artistry. Redd’s cancellation for political reasons, one of many by leftwing performers, is just the latest example. In February, multiple leftwing stars departed the Center after Trump appointed himself chairman.
Yet while the center propped up Democrats, Democrats did not return the favor. Grenell, appointed Trump Kennedy Center President in January, inherited poorly maintained and outdated physical facilities and finances in perhaps even worse shape.
Trump and Grenell have worked to rebuild the Center’s foundation and by reorienting its agenda back to its core mission — a tall task, but one already bearing fruit.
Under Trump’s leadership, the Kennedy Center Honors raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year under President Joe Biden, Fox News Digital reported.
And in September, the center’s annual gala raised $3.45 million for the National Symphony Orchestra, a record for the annual gala.
“President Trump’s vision to make the Kennedy Center available to more people is clearly working. Half the attendees were first-time guests, and their enthusiasm shattered fundraising expectations, nearly triple what had ever been done before,” said Grenell at the time.
Trump has raised the profile of the Trump Kennedy Center immeasurably by personally attending events and giving frequent updates on the Center’s work, bringing the venue to the attention of millions of Americans and potential patrons unfamiliar with what was long a haven for Washington’s liberal elites.
But Democrats and their leftwing allies continue their protests, pointing to an initial decline in ticket sales brought about largely by their own political boycotts which current leadership is reversing due to improved programing. A Democratic lawmaker even sued Trump over the name change.
Trump, Grenell, and their teams are undeterred, continuing their work rejuvenating the Center and establishing its financial viability by expanding its offerings and increasing its appeal to a broader swath of patrons more representative of America.
In mid-December before the board’s vote, Trump, responding to a question from Breitbart News’ Nick Gilbertson, insisted the Center now better serves all Americans in addition to being on better financial footing.
“I think it’s been really enhanced very greatly over the last ten months, meaning since we’ve been here, and we’re making it great,” he said from the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. “We’re going to make it physically great as a building. So, you won’t even believe how beautiful it’ll be.”
“And, we saved the Kennedy Center,” Trump added. “That’s a big thing.”
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
