Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Against Jazz Musician

The Trump administration’s legal action against a jazz musician who canceled his annual Christmas concert at the Kennedy Center has been officially dismissed. The dispute arose in December when Chuck Redd, who had led the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam at the venue since 2006, chose to cancel the performance following Donald Trump’s decision to rename the iconic performing arts center to include his own name—a move that has since been reversed by a district judge.

“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 stated at the time of the cancellation. In response, then-Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell threatened to sue the musician for $1 million, alleging that the cancellation constituted “classic intolerance” and caused significant financial harm to the non-profit institution. A formal breach of contract lawsuit followed shortly thereafter.

Redd’s legal team filed for a dismissal in March. On Friday, a judge ruled in favor of the musician, invoking Washington, D.C.’s Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) laws. These statutes are designed to protect defendants from meritless litigation intended to silence or punish them for exercising their rights, particularly in cases involving political retribution.

“The Center sued Mr. Redd because he publicly and rightly objected to adding Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, a living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy. The lawsuit against Mr. Redd was political retribution, pure and simple, by the Trump Kennedy Center, and the Court correctly saw it as such in dismissing the case with prejudice.” — Lisa J. Banks, attorney for Chuck Redd

Following the ruling, Redd expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, noting that he was pleased with the judge’s decision to bring the matter to a close. The dismissal marks a significant victory for the musician, effectively ending the legal pressure exerted by the administration over his protest of the venue’s renaming.