Acts Continue to Bow Out of Performing at Trump-Kennedy Center

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00:00Acts continue to bow out of performing at Trump Kennedy Center.

00:04More performers are canceling scheduled appearances at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center,

00:09following its recent renaming as the Trump Kennedy Center,

00:12a move announced earlier this month by the White House.

00:15Among the latest cancellations is the jazz septet The Cookers,

00:18which had been scheduled to perform two New Year's Eve shows at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater.

00:23The group announced Monday that it would no longer appear at the venue.

00:26In a statement, the band emphasized jazz's roots in freedom of expression

00:31and explained that the decision was not a rejection of audiences, but a reflection of the moment.

00:37Drummer Billy Hart later told the New York Times that the addition of President Donald Trump's name

00:42to the performing arts institution was a contributing factor in the cancellation.

00:47The New York-based dance company Doug Verone & Dancers also announced it would withdraw

00:51from its planned April performances at the Center.

00:53Additional cancellations include jazz musician Chuck Redd,

00:57who pulled out of a Christmas Eve performance after seeing Trump's name

01:00added to the Kennedy Center's building and website.

01:04Kennedy Center President Richard Grinnell responded to the growing list of cancellations on X,

01:09stating that the affected artists were booked under the Center's previous leadership.

01:13Grinnell criticized the boycotts as politically motivated

01:16and argued that the arts should be accessible to audiences regardless of political beliefs.

01:20Earlier this month, the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees voted to rename the institution

01:26the Trump-Kennedy Center.

01:28Trump's name was added to the exterior of the building the following day,

01:32and the venue's website was updated accordingly.

01:35Trump is currently serving as chair of the board.

01:39The Board of Trustees includes several prominent administration figures,

01:43including Second Lady Usha Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles,

01:47and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.

01:50As cancellations continue, the renaming has sparked an ongoing debate about politics,

01:55artistic expression, and the role of public cultural institutions.