Donald Trump's Kennedy Center Rebrand Is Costing The Venue More Than Just Its Reputation

Donald Trump basically took over The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts early in his second term. He had himself made the board chair after he ousted many board members, replacing them with loyalists like his Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, and Allison Lutnick, the wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. In December, the board voted to rename it The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and in a move that surprised few people considering the size of Trump's ego, he's already added his name to the facade of the building. The renaming of The Kennedy Center has received considerable backlash, including from many within the Kennedy family. Cancellations by performers started when Trump strong-armed himself into the role of board chair, including the hit musical "Hamilton," but now with Trump's name on the outside, more artists are pulling out.

The 2025 Christmas Eve "Jazz Jams" concert at The Kennedy Center was called off by Chuck Redd, the musician who has hosted the popular event for nearly 20 years. It was a direct result of Trump's actions. "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 explained to The Associated Press.

The cancellation didn't go unnoticed by the Trump administration. Richard Grennell, one of Trump's foreign policy advisors and former ambassador to Germany, is currently the interim president of The Kennedy Center. He wrote a fairly snarky letter to Redd by turns telling him that he must have been pressured by those on the left and that attendance for his concert wasn't all that impressive. He made sure to add, "We will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt."

The Christmas Eve concert wasn't the only canceled event at The Kennedy Center in the wake of Donald Trump adding his name to it. The Cookers, a seven member jazz group out of New York City, are no longer performing their planned New Year's Eve concerts. In a statement on their website, The Cookers didn't directly name Trump, but they did say, "​Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice ... We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it."

Doug Varone and Dancers were set to perform twice in April for the 40th anniversary of the center, but no more. The dance troupe will take a $40,000 hit, and Doug Varone told The New York Times that the decision to cancel "is financially devastating but morally exhilarating." They confirmed in an Instagram post that it was because of the renaming situation, writing, "We can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution. The Kennedy Center was named in honor of our 35th President who fervently believed that the arts were the beating heart of our nation, as well as an integral part of international diplomacy."

And country singer Kristy Lee is no longer performing on January 14. On Instagram, she explained her decision, writing in part, "I won't lie to you, canceling shows hurts. This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck."

Richard Grennell posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the new holes in The Kennedy Center performance schedule for 2026. "The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership ... ​​Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome." Netizens responded to Grennell with derision. One person replied, "Or maybe, just hear me out, true artists don't appreciate a memorial to a revered and respected president being commandeered by an unpopular one, whose only legacy is inciting an insurrection and trying to overturn an election."

The name change is also facing legal challenges. Democratic U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty has sued over the name change. Beatty is an ex officio member of The Kennedy Center board, and she said that while the White House claimed that it was a unanimous decision by the board to change the name, she was muted during the call (via BBC). And, per NPR, her lawsuit says that the only way the name of The Kennedy Center can be changed is by Congressional decision, which has not happened.

The Kennedy Center's tanking reputation can also been seen in the dramatic decline in viewing numbers for The Kennedy Center Honors, which Trump took it upon himself to host. Trump hasn't commented on the recent shakeup in the schedule or the poor reception to his hosting gig, but he has floated the idea of installing marble armrests at The Kennedy Center. In a recent Truth Social post, Trump shared a picture of them, and wrote they would be "unlike anything ever done or seen before!" We're not sure that's the best way to get people in the seats and performers on stage, adding cold and uncomfortable armrests.