The head of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC has demanded $1 million (£740,000) in damages from a musician who cancelled a concert after President Donald Trump's name was added to the venue.
Chuck Redd called off his Christmas Eve performance, which he has hosted annually since 2006, citing a vote by the board to rename the site the Trump Kennedy Center.
In his letter, Richard Grenell stated that the cancellation was a political stunt and has cost us considerably. Redd did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shortly after taking office, Trump fired several board members, replacing them with allies, who then voted to make Trump chairman of the board.
Grenell, the Trump Kennedy Center president, wrote in his letter to Redd that his no-show is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution.
He added: Your dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support, combined with your last-minute cancellation has cost us considerably. This is your official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt.
Last week, the White House announced the center's board had unanimously voted to rename the cultural institution as The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
A day later, crews were seen etching the president's name on the building's façade. Its website and some social media accounts were also renamed.
The White House justified the naming effort as recognition of Trump's contributions to renovating the building, yet this move has faced criticism from Democrats, artists, and members of the Kennedy family.
Redd explained, When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert, during an interview with the Associated Press.
Additionally, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, recently filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Trump's name from the center, arguing that such a change should require an act of Congress.
The lawsuit claims she was muted while trying to voice her opposition to the name change during the board meeting. Beatty is among several lawmakers designated as members of the board by US law.
Work on a national performing arts center began in the 1950s, and following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Congress decided to convert it into a living memorial to him.
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