A jazz concert planned for Christmas Eve at the Kennedy Center has been cancelled, with the host of the annual performance attributing the decision to the addition of Republican President Donald Trump’s name to the Washington institution.
The Kennedy Center board, which the president packed with allies during a takeover earlier this year, ruled last week , prompting an outcry from Democrats and raising questions about the legality of the move.
The council voted to rename the Washington landmark The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or Trump Kennedy Center for short.
“Christmas Eve Jazz Jam (Canceled)”, said the institution’s website late on Wednesday (24).
“I decided to cancel our performance when I saw the name change last Friday (19),” said the show’s host, musician Chuck Redd.
A CNN reported that Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has headlined this show since 2006, does not plan to reschedule the performance.
Trump is eager to put his stamp on Washington and his name on buildings. Critics say he tried to compromise traditional US institutions by installing loyalists and making funding threats. Trump argues that he is combating what he calls the liberal bias of these institutions.
Trump removed members of the center appointed by then US President Joe Biden, took over as president and appointed Richard Grenell, a longtime ally and former ambassador to Germany, as president of the center.
