By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) – A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center was canceled, with the host of the longtime annual performance attributing the decision to the addition of Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s name to the institution in Washington.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The board of the Kennedy Center, which the president filled with allies during a broad takeover earlier this year, decided last week to add Trump’s name to the institution, horrifying Democrats and raising questions about the legality of the change.
The board voted to rename the Washington landmark The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or Trump Kennedy Center for short.
KEY QUOTES
“Christmas Eve Jazz Jam (Canceled),” the website of the institution said as of late on Wednesday.
“I did choose to cancel our Kennedy Center Christmas Eve Jazz Jam when I saw the name change happening last Friday,” said the host of the show, musician Chuck Redd.
CNN reported that Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has led this concert since 2006, does not currently plan to reschedule the performance. The Associated Press first reported the cancellation.
CONTEXT
Trump has been eager to put his stamp on Washington and his name on buildings. His critics say he has attempted to compromise traditional U.S. institutions by installing loyalists and making funding threats. Trump argues he is tackling what he terms as those institutions’ liberal bias.
Trump ousted members of the board appointed by then-President Joe Biden, took over as chairman and installed Richard Grenell, a longtime ally and former ambassador to Germany, as the center’s president.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by William Mallard)
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