The musician leading the annual event canceled the event over a move to put President Donald Trump’s name on the center without Congressional approval.
Trump’s name added to Kennedy Center to reflect name change
Construction workers added President Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center to reflect the center’s name change.
The annual Christmas Eve jazz concert at Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was canceled after the center’s board of directors, appointed by President Donald Trump, added his name to the building last week.
Musician Chuck Redd, who has led the show since 2006, told CNN he canceled the show “when I saw the name change last Friday.”
The center’s board of directors, which President Trump elected to lead the center earlier this year, voted on Dec. 18 to rename the National Institute of Music, Arts and Culture after Presidents Trump and Kennedy.
Democratic lawmakers, who hold seats on the board ex-officio due to their roles in Congress, argued that the vote, which the administration claimed was unanimous, was improperly conducted. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), a former ex-officio board member, filed a lawsuit on December 22, arguing that the name change was illegal.
Under federal law, the center’s name remains the John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center. The law that established the center did not give the board the power to change its name.
Contributor: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, Reuters
