WASHINGTON – The head of the Kennedy Center condemned a musician’s abrupt decision to withdraw from a Christmas Eve concert at the venue, following the announcement that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the prestigious facility.

“Your last-minute withdrawal—prompted by the Center’s recent renaming to honor President Trump’s significant contributions to preserving this national institution—is an act of intolerance that imposes a heavy burden on a nonprofit arts organization,” stated Richard Grenell, the venue’s president, in a letter addressed to musician Chuck Redd, which was shared with The Associated Press.

In the correspondence, Grenell indicated his intention to pursue $1 million in damages, labeling the withdrawal as a “political stunt.”

Redd has yet to provide a response to inquiries for comment.

Known for his skills on the drums and vibraphone, Redd has led the holiday “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center since 2006, taking over the role from bassist William “Keter” Betts. In an email sent to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Redd explained that he decided to cancel his participation following the renaming announcement.

“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. He added Wednesday that the event has been a “very popular holiday tradition” and that he often featured at least one student musician.

“One of the many reasons that it was very sad to have had to cancel,” he told the AP.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and Congress passed a law the following year naming the center as a living memorial to him.

Grenell is a Trump ally whom the president chose to head the Kennedy Center after he forced out the previous leadership. According to the White House, Trump’s handpicked board approved the renaming, which scholars have said violates the law. Kennedy niece Kerry Kennedy has vowed to remove Trump’s name from the building once he leaves office, and former House historian Ray Smock is among those who say any changes would have to be approved by Congress.

The law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else, and from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior.

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Associated Press writer Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report.