Kennedy Center Concerts Cancelled Amid Trump Naming Controversy

• New Year's Eve concerts by The Cookers and other performances at the Kennedy Center were cancelled or withdrawn.
• Artists cited the center's renaming to include Donald Trump's name and fears of political influence as reasons.
• Earlier, prominent artists resigned from advisory roles after Trump administration allies replaced board members.
• Kennedy Center chairman Richard Grenell called boycotting artists "far-left political activists" and threatened a lawsuit.
• The controversy highlights a broader conflict over political influence in US cultural institutions, causing financial and reputational costs.

Why It Matters: Political tensions over Trump's name on the Kennedy Center led to concert cancellations and artist protests.