The Kennedy Center is threatening to sue longtime jazz musician Chuck Redd for $1 million — all because he chose not to perform at a concert after the venue was renamed in honor of President Donald Trump.

Redd has led the beloved Christmas Eve “Jazz Jam” at the Kennedy Center since 2006. But this year, just days before the concert, the Center’s board — appointed entirely by Trump — voted to rename the building “The Trump Kennedy Center.” The decision sparked national controversy and was quickly challenged in court, with members of Congress and the Kennedy family arguing the name change was illegal.

In response, Redd quietly withdrew from the event, citing the abrupt renaming. Now the venue’s new president, Trump ally Richard Grenell, is calling Redd’s decision a “political stunt” and threatening a $1 million lawsuit against him personally.

Let’s be clear: Chuck Redd didn’t destroy property or breach a contract in bad faith. He made a nonviolent, personal decision to withdraw from a performance at a publicly funded venue that was abruptly politicized. That’s not a crime — that’s protected expression.

No artist should face a million-dollar lawsuit for choosing not to perform. Especially not at a venue that’s supposed to honor the legacy of President John F. Kennedy, a champion of the arts and freedom of speech.

This lawsuit is retaliation, plain and simple. It sends a chilling message to artists: stay silent or face financial ruin. That’s not what the arts are about. That’s not what America is about.

We call on the Kennedy Center to immediately drop its threat of legal action against Chuck Redd and reaffirm its commitment to artistic freedom, not political enforcement.

Sign this petition to stand with Chuck Redd — and every artist who believes in the right to choose when, where, and why they perform.