Chuck Redd has been hosting a Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center for nearly 20 years. But this year, the show didn’t happen—and his reason stirred up a storm.
Redd, a veteran jazz musician, pulled the plug on the event after the Kennedy Center’s name was officially changed to include Donald Trump. It now reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
“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 told The Associated Press.
His move quickly set off a wave of reactions online, especially from Trump supporters who accused him of letting politics ruin the holidays. “@ChuckRedJazz is an ass,” one person posted on X. “You screw over an audience and fellow performers because of your own TDS? You don’t deserve that honor.”
Another wrote, “Crybaby @ChuckReddJazz decided to cancel Christmas Eve concert for thousands… All because of his own TDS.” Some even called for a boycott or for him to be fired from future performances.
Despite the backlash, Redd also received plenty of support. Some praised his stance, saying it was about integrity, not politics. “Proudly supporting @ChuckReddJazz in his group’s decision not to perform at the now partisan and renamed… Kennedy Center National Memorial,” one supporter wrote. “These artists depend on these events to put food on the table but taking a stand for democracy.”
Another added, “There are Americans with an ounce of integrity out there. Bravo Chuck Redd!”
Redd had hosted the annual show since 2006, making the cancellation a significant moment in the Kennedy Center’s holiday tradition. The building’s renaming came from a Trump-appointed board, and as of now, it remains a point of controversy—and a symbol of the cultural divide that shows no sign of fading.