When you cancel a gig to make a political statement, it turns out the venue might send you a bill. A big one.

The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is now demanding $1 million in damages from musician Chuck Redd after he abruptly canceled his scheduled Christmas Eve performance last Thursday. The reason? Redd was protesting the center's controversial renaming, which now honors President Donald Trump alongside JFK.

A Christmas Eve Protest

Redd had been hosting his annual "Jazz Jams" concert at the Kennedy Center every Christmas Eve since 2006. But when Trump's name appeared on the center's website and the building's exterior, he decided he couldn't go through with it this year.

The rebranding was initiated by Trump's handpicked board and has already attracted legal challenges from lawmakers and advocacy groups who object to the change.

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell wasn't having it. In a letter to Redd that was shared with The Associated Press, Grenell blasted the cancellation as "classic intolerance" and argued it dealt a blow to the non-profit arts institution.

Last week, Grenell defended the renaming on X, claiming that President Trump "saved" the Kennedy Center by securing $250 million in funding in under 10 months.

Financial Fallout

The center's million-dollar demand reflects both the financial impact of Redd's last-minute cancellation and the broader tensions swirling around the facility's rebranding. Redd himself hasn't publicly commented on the demand.

Meanwhile, Trump seems to be enjoying his new relationship with the venue. In early December, he hosted the Kennedy Center Honors and joked that if viewers liked his hosting, he might "leave the presidency" to make it his full-time gig. One imagines that didn't land well with Redd.