Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
LetMyPeopleVote
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
December 29, 2025
I heard that trump is really pissed at this cancellation
Here is a partial list of acts/performers who are canceling on trump's renamed center
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2005675512199512207I heard that trump is really pissed at this cancellation
December 29, 2025
MaddowBlog-Economic growth increases, but the good news comes with some important fine print
While Trump was quick to celebrate the latest GDP data, other indicators ought to keep the enthusiasm in check.
https://x.com/Christop1Moquin/status/2003595040006832532
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/economic-growth-increases-but-the-good-news-comes-with-some-important-fine-print
While the president was understandably quick to celebrate the latest data, there are some additional elements to the news that ought to keep the enthusiastic response in check.
For one thing, the strong growth in the third quarter (spanning July through September) clearly did not translate into job growth.
For another, The Associated Press reported that the latest update from The Conference Board showed that consumer confidence fell in December to its lowest level since the White House’s tariffs were rolled out in April.
Just as notable are some of the details in the GDP report itself. The Times’ report added, for example, “Disposable personal income, after taxes and adjusted for inflation, was flat, a sign of nagging inflation still eating into purchasing power. … Lower-income families are wrestling with slowing wage growth and rising costs of various household goods, like beef, coffee and furniture.”
This dynamic is fueling concerns about what’s known as a “K-shaped” economy, in which those at the top fare well and keep spending, while those with less struggle more.
In his latest Substack essay, economist Paul Krugman explained, “Trump may be largely, though indirectly, responsible for the K-shaped economy. His tariff and other policies have created uncertainty that has paralyzed hiring. The fact that workers are finding jobs hard to get, in turn, has hurt the employment and wages of disadvantaged groups, including ethnic minorities and low-wage workers in general.”
It’s something to keep in mind as the president tries to pat himself on the back.
For one thing, the strong growth in the third quarter (spanning July through September) clearly did not translate into job growth.
For another, The Associated Press reported that the latest update from The Conference Board showed that consumer confidence fell in December to its lowest level since the White House’s tariffs were rolled out in April.
Just as notable are some of the details in the GDP report itself. The Times’ report added, for example, “Disposable personal income, after taxes and adjusted for inflation, was flat, a sign of nagging inflation still eating into purchasing power. … Lower-income families are wrestling with slowing wage growth and rising costs of various household goods, like beef, coffee and furniture.”
This dynamic is fueling concerns about what’s known as a “K-shaped” economy, in which those at the top fare well and keep spending, while those with less struggle more.
In his latest Substack essay, economist Paul Krugman explained, “Trump may be largely, though indirectly, responsible for the K-shaped economy. His tariff and other policies have created uncertainty that has paralyzed hiring. The fact that workers are finding jobs hard to get, in turn, has hurt the employment and wages of disadvantaged groups, including ethnic minorities and low-wage workers in general.”
It’s something to keep in mind as the president tries to pat himself on the back.
December 29, 2025
https://www.rawstory.com/jeffrey-epstein-trump-2674834641/?utm_source=superhead
'My friends will get hurt': Trump blew up over threats to expose Epstein accomplices
trump does not have any real friends but is concerned that some of his fellow pedophiles may sell him out if they are prosecuted. I tend to believe MTG's account of trump's actions here
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) revealed new details about her split with President Donald Trump over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2025-12-29T21:00:28.927Z
https://www.rawstory.com/jeffrey-epstein-trump-2674834641/?utm_source=superhead
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) revealed new details about her split with President Donald Trump over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The retiring Republican congresswoman spoke to the New York Times for a nearly 7,600-word profile covering her decision to leave Congress after two terms, and she told the newspaper that she overlooked some glaring clues about Trump's longtime friendship with the late sex offender, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
...."Greene was in her Capitol Hill office, and according to a staff member, everyone in the suite of rooms could hear him yelling at her as she listened to him on speakerphone," the Times reported. "Greene says she expressed her perplexity over his intransigence. According to Greene, Trump replied, 'My friends will get hurt.'"
"When she urged Trump to invite some of Epstein’s female victims to the Oval Office, she says, he angrily informed her that they had done nothing to merit the honor," the report added. "It would be the last conversation Greene and Trump would ever have."
The retiring Republican congresswoman spoke to the New York Times for a nearly 7,600-word profile covering her decision to leave Congress after two terms, and she told the newspaper that she overlooked some glaring clues about Trump's longtime friendship with the late sex offender, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
...."Greene was in her Capitol Hill office, and according to a staff member, everyone in the suite of rooms could hear him yelling at her as she listened to him on speakerphone," the Times reported. "Greene says she expressed her perplexity over his intransigence. According to Greene, Trump replied, 'My friends will get hurt.'"
"When she urged Trump to invite some of Epstein’s female victims to the Oval Office, she says, he angrily informed her that they had done nothing to merit the honor," the report added. "It would be the last conversation Greene and Trump would ever have."
December 29, 2025
https://www.rawstory.com/alternet-posts/trump-economy-inflation-business-owners/
'Um, not so fast': Trump admin accused of fudging figures on faltering economy
trump fired all of the people who were keeping accurate numbers. No one should trust any numbers from the trump administration
'Um, not so fast': Trump admin accused of fudging figures on faltering economy
— Anne Grete (GoogeliArt) 🦋💙PD (@googeliart.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T02:05:58.722Z
www.rawstory.com/alternet-pos...
https://www.rawstory.com/alternet-posts/trump-economy-inflation-business-owners/
President Donald Trump and his helpers are cheering prematurely over some good economic numbers that came out this month, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Michael Hiltzik.
On Dec. 18, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that inflation had fallen to an annual rate of 2.7 percent in November, down from 3 percent in September. Then, on Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that real gross domestic product had gone up by a surprising 4.3 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2025....
“Um, not so fast,” said Hiltzik, pointing out that the 43-day government shutdown from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 was the most important cause of gaps in the collected data for the consumer price index calculation.
“You've got to take it with a grain of salt," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG US, of the inflation report. "It's confusing and it doesn't quite square with prices that we've observed."
Swonk said Trump’s steep cutbacks at the BLS had already reduced the staff assigned to sampling prices by 25 percent. That prompted the agency to substitute "imputed" numbers in lieu of hard data.
"Those cases can show up as zeros in the percent change of the release," Swonk wrote, which lowers the bottom-line figure. In fact, a sampling scheduled for mid-October had to be canceled, so figures dating from August were used instead. This conceals any price increases in subsequent months.
“A major problem concerns housing costs, which account for about one-third of the data inputs for the (Consumer Price Index),” Hiltzik reports. “Because the BLS was unable to collect rental data for October, it implied that the monthly change in rents was 0 percent in October — further skewing the reported CPI lower. Experts say it will take at least six months to use newly collected data to provide a reliable estimate of housing inflation.”
On Dec. 18, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that inflation had fallen to an annual rate of 2.7 percent in November, down from 3 percent in September. Then, on Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that real gross domestic product had gone up by a surprising 4.3 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2025....
“Um, not so fast,” said Hiltzik, pointing out that the 43-day government shutdown from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 was the most important cause of gaps in the collected data for the consumer price index calculation.
“You've got to take it with a grain of salt," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG US, of the inflation report. "It's confusing and it doesn't quite square with prices that we've observed."
Swonk said Trump’s steep cutbacks at the BLS had already reduced the staff assigned to sampling prices by 25 percent. That prompted the agency to substitute "imputed" numbers in lieu of hard data.
"Those cases can show up as zeros in the percent change of the release," Swonk wrote, which lowers the bottom-line figure. In fact, a sampling scheduled for mid-October had to be canceled, so figures dating from August were used instead. This conceals any price increases in subsequent months.
“A major problem concerns housing costs, which account for about one-third of the data inputs for the (Consumer Price Index),” Hiltzik reports. “Because the BLS was unable to collect rental data for October, it implied that the monthly change in rents was 0 percent in October — further skewing the reported CPI lower. Experts say it will take at least six months to use newly collected data to provide a reliable estimate of housing inflation.”
December 29, 2025
Deadline Legal Blog-The brutality of El Salvador's CECOT prison isn't lost on judges holding the Trump administration ac
A “60 Minutes” segment on the notorious prison was pulled from airing under Bari Weiss. The prison has featured in recent high-profile cases exposing the administration’s actions.
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/bari-weiss-60-minutes-cecot-prison-judges-abrego
One of those cases is the ongoing legal saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom the administration illegally sent to El Salvador and then resisted his court-ordered return until it finally relented in June. Another is a judge’s ongoing effort to pursue a contempt inquiry into the administration’s violation of his order to halt flights that led to the notorious prison.
In Abrego’s case, in which the administration is still trying to deport him, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered his release from immigration custody earlier this month. Recounting the history of his case, the Obama-appointed judge in Maryland wrote that Abrego was “forcibly expelled” to El Salvador along with others who were detained at CECOT and “systematically beaten and tortured.”
In the second case, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote that his contempt inquiry “is not some academic exercise.” The Obama-appointed judge in Washington, D.C., observed that more than 100 men were “spirited out of this country without a hearing and placed in a high-security prison in El Salvador, where many suffered abuse and possible torture, despite this Court’s order that they should not be disembarked.”
Both judicial writings cited a Human Rights Watch report titled “‘You Have Arrived in Hell’: Torture and Other Abuses Against Venezuelans in El Salvador’s Mega Prison.” The report’s title is a quote attributed to the prison’s director by a detainee. The report detailed alleged abuses and inhumane conditions for people held in CECOT without legal basis.
In Boasberg’s contempt inquiry, an appeals court panel with two Trump-appointed judges in the majority intervened this month to halt it. Before the panel intervened, Boasberg was poised to take testimony from a Department of Justice whistleblower and a current DOJ lawyer to shed light on the matter.
Somewhat like Weiss’ statement about pulling the CECOT segment, the D.C. appellate panel said not to read too much into the temporary postponement — that the panel just needed more time to consider the administration’s appeal. Whatever final decisions are reached by Weiss and the panel in their respective situations, both moves have the effect of keeping potentially damning information about the administration’s policies from the public — while emphasizing the importance of the information being kept hidden.
In Abrego’s case, in which the administration is still trying to deport him, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered his release from immigration custody earlier this month. Recounting the history of his case, the Obama-appointed judge in Maryland wrote that Abrego was “forcibly expelled” to El Salvador along with others who were detained at CECOT and “systematically beaten and tortured.”
In the second case, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote that his contempt inquiry “is not some academic exercise.” The Obama-appointed judge in Washington, D.C., observed that more than 100 men were “spirited out of this country without a hearing and placed in a high-security prison in El Salvador, where many suffered abuse and possible torture, despite this Court’s order that they should not be disembarked.”
Both judicial writings cited a Human Rights Watch report titled “‘You Have Arrived in Hell’: Torture and Other Abuses Against Venezuelans in El Salvador’s Mega Prison.” The report’s title is a quote attributed to the prison’s director by a detainee. The report detailed alleged abuses and inhumane conditions for people held in CECOT without legal basis.
In Boasberg’s contempt inquiry, an appeals court panel with two Trump-appointed judges in the majority intervened this month to halt it. Before the panel intervened, Boasberg was poised to take testimony from a Department of Justice whistleblower and a current DOJ lawyer to shed light on the matter.
Somewhat like Weiss’ statement about pulling the CECOT segment, the D.C. appellate panel said not to read too much into the temporary postponement — that the panel just needed more time to consider the administration’s appeal. Whatever final decisions are reached by Weiss and the panel in their respective situations, both moves have the effect of keeping potentially damning information about the administration’s policies from the public — while emphasizing the importance of the information being kept hidden.
December 29, 2025
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-trump-claimed-to-care-about-church-state-separation-his-team-drops-the-pretense
MadowBlog-After Trump claimed to care about church-state separation, his team drops the pretense
The week before Christmas, the president asked, “What ever happened to separation of church and state?” It was a question better left to his own team.
Dec. 18: Trump asks, “What ever happened to separation of Church and State?â€
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-12-29T17:06:00.407Z
Dec. 21: Vance says the U.S. is a “Christian nation.â€
Dec. 25: DHS insists that Americans “share a nation and a Savior.â€
Maybe Trump’s team can answer his original question? www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-trump-claimed-to-care-about-church-state-separation-his-team-drops-the-pretense
Seven days later, however, Trump’s question about what became of the separation of church and state took on an even greater significance when his own administration released official statements on the Christmas holiday. My MS NOW colleague Anthony L. Fisher reported:
When a local church celebrates Christmas with a “Rejoice, America, Christ is born!” message, that makes sense. When religious leaders do the same thing, no one is surprised. But when the Department of Homeland Security publishes an official statement, followed by a related official statement in which DHS declares as fact that Americans share “a Savior,” it’s far more problematic — legally, politically, culturally and even theologically — in a pluralistic country with a First Amendment that requires government neutrality on matters of faith......
After all, to hear Team Trump tell it, this is a “Christian nation” in which Americans share a “Savior.” It is a perspective rooted in radical Christian nationalism, in which minority faiths (as well as those who have chosen no religious path) are effectively told, “You’ll be tolerated, but you’re still the Other, relegated to second-class status.”
The week before Christmas, the president rhetorically asked the public, “What ever happened to separation of church and state?” but it was a question better left to his own team, which appears to have fundamentally rejected the constitutional principle.
The Department of Homeland Security, for example, posted two videos to X with ‘Christ is Born!’ as the text. But DHS posted another one that was far more menacing than Christ-like.
With the message ‘Merry Christmas, America. We are blessed to share a nation and a Savior,’ this post featured a 85-second video with hundreds of smash cuts of ‘American family’ Christmas imagery, snippets of Charlie Brown and Bruce Willis in ‘Die Hard’ and, of course, Trump iconography.
When a local church celebrates Christmas with a “Rejoice, America, Christ is born!” message, that makes sense. When religious leaders do the same thing, no one is surprised. But when the Department of Homeland Security publishes an official statement, followed by a related official statement in which DHS declares as fact that Americans share “a Savior,” it’s far more problematic — legally, politically, culturally and even theologically — in a pluralistic country with a First Amendment that requires government neutrality on matters of faith......
After all, to hear Team Trump tell it, this is a “Christian nation” in which Americans share a “Savior.” It is a perspective rooted in radical Christian nationalism, in which minority faiths (as well as those who have chosen no religious path) are effectively told, “You’ll be tolerated, but you’re still the Other, relegated to second-class status.”
The week before Christmas, the president rhetorically asked the public, “What ever happened to separation of church and state?” but it was a question better left to his own team, which appears to have fundamentally rejected the constitutional principle.
December 29, 2025
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-striking-nigeria-trump-pushes-dubious-claim-about-targeting-venezuelan-facility
MaddowBlog-After striking Nigeria, Trump pushes dubious claim about targeting Venezuelan facility
If you voted for Trump because you expected restraint on foreign policy and the use of military force abroad, I have some bad news for you
It’s no small thing that Trump told the public last week that he ordered a military strike on a target on Venezuelan soil, and we have no idea whether he made that up. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-12-29T14:04:02.693Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-striking-nigeria-trump-pushes-dubious-claim-about-targeting-venezuelan-facility
Donald Trump has repeatedly said in recent weeks that he intends to start ordering military strikes on targets inside Venezuela, which made it all the more notable on Friday when the president said he’d already done exactly that.
The trouble is, there’s some uncertainty surrounding the existence of the operation.,,.
But while we’re left to wonder whether the sitting American president bragged about a foreign U.S. military strike that may or may not have happened, there’s far greater clarity about a foreign U.S. military strike that definitely happened. My MS NOW colleague Nicholas Grossman reported:
To be sure, the operation didn’t come out of nowhere. The Republican declared in early November that he was prepared to go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” in response to conditions on the ground that he didn’t seem to fully understand.....
For those keeping score, as 2025 nears its end, Trump this year has launched preemptive military strikes on targets in Iran, initiated a bombing campaign in Yemen, targeted ISIS sites in Syria, launched a bombing operation in Nigeria, struck ISIS targets in Somalia, and launched at least 29 deadly strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
It’s possible that he also “knocked out” a facility on Venezuela, though it’s also possible he just made that up....
For good measure, it’s worth noting for context that the American president has also announced his desire to annex Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and the Gaza Strip, and spoken publicly about possibly returning U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
The trouble is, there’s some uncertainty surrounding the existence of the operation.,,.
But while we’re left to wonder whether the sitting American president bragged about a foreign U.S. military strike that may or may not have happened, there’s far greater clarity about a foreign U.S. military strike that definitely happened. My MS NOW colleague Nicholas Grossman reported:
The United States military bombed Nigeria on Christmas, reportedly targeting ISIS militants. President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. struck terrorists ‘who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries.’
Nigeria has been plagued by sectarian violence, but that violence hasn’t primarily targeted Christians — and certainly not at historically unprecedented levels. America’s logic here isn’t clear, but the strikes appear driven more by Trump putting on a show for his evangelical base than trying to reduce violence in Nigeria or even advance U.S. national interests.
To be sure, the operation didn’t come out of nowhere. The Republican declared in early November that he was prepared to go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” in response to conditions on the ground that he didn’t seem to fully understand.....
For those keeping score, as 2025 nears its end, Trump this year has launched preemptive military strikes on targets in Iran, initiated a bombing campaign in Yemen, targeted ISIS sites in Syria, launched a bombing operation in Nigeria, struck ISIS targets in Somalia, and launched at least 29 deadly strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
It’s possible that he also “knocked out” a facility on Venezuela, though it’s also possible he just made that up....
For good measure, it’s worth noting for context that the American president has also announced his desire to annex Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and the Gaza Strip, and spoken publicly about possibly returning U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
December 28, 2025
Upcoming acts/performance for the trump Center next season
Here are some of the acts/plays/performances that will appear at the trump center
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2005321084762271937
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2005325715743691173
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2005327839768568097
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2005335957588123784
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2005322853433180237
December 28, 2025
Justice Department Says Filming Immigration Raids Is 'Domestic Terrorism'
A leaked Justice Department memo directs federal prosecutors to press “domestic terrorism” charges against individuals who record immigration operations.
https://reason.com/2025/12/26/justice-department-says-filming-immigration-raids-is-domestic-terrorism
After leaving the Chicago area in November, U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino made an unexpected return on December 16, along with several hundred federal agents and a film crew. Returning to the same aggressive tactics that sparked protests earlier this year, local officials criticized Bovino for using immigration operations as a form of political theater. ....
But this is not the first time a federal agency has filmed immigration operations for political theater. In addition to being tasked with carrying out record levels of deportations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump has seemingly been transformed into a propaganda arm to sell the public on the president's increasingly unpopular immigration policies. Examples include a video posted on X by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of agents raiding a South Shore apartment building on September 30 and a video posted on the DHS' official Instagram account depicting various immigration arrests.
As Bovino and the DHS have embraced the power of cinema to document immigration arrests and promote current policies, the Trump administration is also cracking down on individuals who choose to record immigration operations. In a December 4 memo, originally leaked by journalist Ken Klippenstein, the Justice Department encourages federal prosecutors to press "domestic terrorism" charges against people for "doxing" law enforcement officers. While undefined in the memo, "doxing" in this context is understood to mean the publishing of information that identifies law enforcement officers, which the Justice Department insinuates is a threatening activity used to "silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society.".....
But the right to free speech isn't taken away when someone says or does something that the government disagrees with. Attempting to define who is and isn't protected by the First Amendment is not only unconstitutional, but also a strategy that could put even Trump's allies at the mercy of federal prosecutors.
But this is not the first time a federal agency has filmed immigration operations for political theater. In addition to being tasked with carrying out record levels of deportations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump has seemingly been transformed into a propaganda arm to sell the public on the president's increasingly unpopular immigration policies. Examples include a video posted on X by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of agents raiding a South Shore apartment building on September 30 and a video posted on the DHS' official Instagram account depicting various immigration arrests.
As Bovino and the DHS have embraced the power of cinema to document immigration arrests and promote current policies, the Trump administration is also cracking down on individuals who choose to record immigration operations. In a December 4 memo, originally leaked by journalist Ken Klippenstein, the Justice Department encourages federal prosecutors to press "domestic terrorism" charges against people for "doxing" law enforcement officers. While undefined in the memo, "doxing" in this context is understood to mean the publishing of information that identifies law enforcement officers, which the Justice Department insinuates is a threatening activity used to "silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society.".....
But the right to free speech isn't taken away when someone says or does something that the government disagrees with. Attempting to define who is and isn't protected by the First Amendment is not only unconstitutional, but also a strategy that could put even Trump's allies at the mercy of federal prosecutors.
December 28, 2025
https://www.rawstory.com/kennedy-center-2674831343
If this case goes to trial before a DC jury, it will be fun to see what happens.
Trump's Kennedy Center ally hits musician with $1M demand over Christmas Eve cancelation
This lawsuit will be interesting to follow. The artist contracted to perform in the Kennedy Center and that name no longer exists.
Trump's Kennedy Center ally hits musician with M demand over Christmas Eve cancelation
— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2025-12-27T02:00:41.533Z
https://www.rawstory.com/kennedy-center-2674831343
The president of the Kennedy Center’s board is once again lashing out at critics of President Donald Trump – this time targeting a veteran jazz musician who abruptly canceled a Christmas Eve performance following the center’s MAGA-style renaming to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
Richard Grenell, a Trump ally who has led the board since February, blasted musician Chuck Redd after the drummer and vibraphonist withdrew from his long-running holiday “Jazz Jams” performance at the venue, a tradition he has overseen since 2006, Politico reported Friday.
In a sharply worded letter shared with The Associated Press, Grenell accused Redd of engaging in “classic intolerance” and called the cancellation a “political stunt” that he claimed would cause significant financial harm to the nonprofit arts institution.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” Grenell wrote in the letter, adding that he intends to seek $1 million in damages over the last-minute withdrawal.
Redd told the AP on the day of his scheduled performance that he canceled the performance after seeing Trump’s name added to the building and website.
“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 said, as reported by Politico.
Richard Grenell, a Trump ally who has led the board since February, blasted musician Chuck Redd after the drummer and vibraphonist withdrew from his long-running holiday “Jazz Jams” performance at the venue, a tradition he has overseen since 2006, Politico reported Friday.
In a sharply worded letter shared with The Associated Press, Grenell accused Redd of engaging in “classic intolerance” and called the cancellation a “political stunt” that he claimed would cause significant financial harm to the nonprofit arts institution.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” Grenell wrote in the letter, adding that he intends to seek $1 million in damages over the last-minute withdrawal.
Redd told the AP on the day of his scheduled performance that he canceled the performance after seeing Trump’s name added to the building and website.
“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 said, as reported by Politico.
If this case goes to trial before a DC jury, it will be fun to see what happens.
Profile Information
Member since: Mon Apr 5, 2004, 03:58 PMNumber of posts: 174,550