Kennedy Center Christmas Eve Jazz Concert Canceled After Trump Name Added to Building

An annual Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center was canceled Wednesday after its host pulled out in protest of the performing arts center's name change to the Trump Kennedy Center.

Chuck Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has hosted the show for nearly two decades, said he decided to cancel the performance after learning that President Trump's name was being added to the building in Washington, D.C. "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 in an email Wednesday.

The Kennedy Center's board, chaired by President Trump, voted unanimously last week to rename the institution the Trump Kennedy Center. Mr. Trump's name was added to the building's facade on Friday, and the center's website was updated to reflect the new name.

The Christmas Eve Jazz Jam had been a holiday tradition at the venue for more than 20 years. The free concert was scheduled for Wednesday and promised "an evening of music that'll fill you with holiday cheer," according to the event listing on the Kennedy Center website, which later displayed "(Canceled)" without explanation.

Early this year, the Trump administration removed board members appointed by President Biden, including chairman David M. Rubenstein, and replaced them with people handpicked by Mr. Trump.

The name change has drawn pushback from Democratic lawmakers and some scholars, who say the decision violates the law. Representative Joyce Beatty, Democrat of Ohio, sued Mr. Trump on Monday over the renaming. Following Trump's self-appointment as Kennedy Center chairman, at least 26 performances have been canceled at the venue, according to reports.

Redd, who has toured with musicians including Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Brown, has been presiding over the holiday Jazz Jams since 2006.