Trump’s Kennedy Center dream officially hit a wall after the acclaimed jazz ensemble The Cookers canceled their planned New Year’s Eve concert. The reason: Trump’s name now displayed inside the venue. Legendary saxophonist Billy Harper made his stance unmistakably clear on Facebook.
“I would never even consider performing in a venue bearing a name that represents overt racism,” Harper wrote, adding that after decades working alongside anti-racism icons like Max Roach, Randy Weston, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Stanley Cowell, performing under those circumstances would betray both their legacy and the audiences who believed in their cause.
The backlash didn’t stop there. Southern Alabama singer Kristy Lee has pulled out of her scheduled appearance. Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York–based dance company, also canceled their show—absorbing a $40,000 financial loss rather than lend support to what Varone described as Trump’s brand of fascism.
“It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating,” Varone told The New York Times.
The wave of cancellations has been so severe that only one major performance remains on the Kennedy Center’s schedule for the next six months: a production of Chicago set for March 29.
For Trump, the collapse is especially pointed. Prestige, elite approval, and cultural validation have always been central to his self-image—and this very public rejection strikes directly at that ego. No amount of branding or bluster can force artists to participate.
And many are now making their position clear: until Trump’s name comes down and his allies are removed from the board, the Kennedy Center should remain dark.
