Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell lambasted a performer’s decision to cancel an annual Christmas Eve jazz concert, following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the Washington, DC, arts venue. “I’ve been performing at the Kennedy Center since the beginning of my career and I was saddened to see this name change,” Redd said. Prior to the renaming, Trump’s overhaul of the center was already raising concerns about lost revenue as both artists and audiences flee for other venues. The Kennedy Center comped approximately five times more tickets for the performances this year than in the past four years, the data showed. And this year’s show has fallen about half a million dollars short of its $1.5 million budgeted revenue goal.

Source: CNN December 27, 2025 16:53 UTC