After a year marked by controversy, Richard Grenell, known for his strong MAGA affiliations, will resign from his role as president of the Kennedy Center.
This announcement was made by former President Donald Trump through his Truth Social platform on Friday.
Trump praised Grenell’s contributions, stating, “Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done.”
He added, “THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will be, at its completion, the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the World!”
Trump also revealed that Matt Floca, who currently oversees the Kennedy Center’s facilities operations, will take over Grenell’s position.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Grenell for a statement regarding his departure.
Grenell’s departure comes as the Kennedy Center prepares to close this summer for a two-year renovation.
He was a central player in Trump’s push to dramatically overhaul the Kennedy Center following the president’s return to office.
Richard Grenell will step down as the president of the Kennedy Center after a tumultuous year in charge
President Donald Trump announced the change in a post to his Truth Social account on Friday
After mostly ignoring the center during his first term, Trump made it a focal point in his war against woke culture.
He ousted the Kennedy Center´s previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees who voted to rename the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say must be initiated by Congress.
More recently, Trump’s name was physically added to the building’s iconic facade.
The fallout from the arts community was swift and intense, with prominent musicals, such as ‘Hamilton,’ canceling performances.
Actor Issa Rae and author Louise Penny also withdrew from appearances while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned.
Last week, the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, Jean Davidson, left to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
Perhaps best known for its annual honors program, the Kennedy Center was long one of the few places in Washington where political differences were put aside.
Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – ideological opposites – famously attended the opera there together.
More recently, Trump’s name was physically added to the building’s iconic facade
The president said Matt Floca (pictured), who manages the Kennedy Center’s facilities operations, will succeed Grenell
But the venue became something of an extension of Trump’s White House during his second term.
The president was instrumental in convincing FIFA President Gianni Infantino to hold the World Cup draw there in December.
Just a few days later, Trump himself hosted the Kennedy Center honors, the first for a president.
Since then, Trump has addressed House Republicans at the Kennedy Center. The documentary of first lady Melania Trump also premiered there.
Grenell is a longtime Republican foreign policy adviser. During Trump’s first term, he was the U.S. ambassador to Germany and special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.
He also served as acting director of national intelligence and was considered a contender for secretary of state in Trump’s second term, a post that ultimately went to Marco Rubio.
In his position at the Kennedy Center, Grenell emphasized what he called ‘common sense’ programming, aiming to steer the venue toward events that appealed to a broad audience and didn’t lose money.
But his moves prompted criticism from many Democrats on Capitol Hill.
New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center
Most recently, the venue hosted the MAGA star-studded premiere of the hit documentary ‘Melania’
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, released documents in November showing the Kennedy Center entered into an agreement giving FIFA ‘exclusive’ use of the facility from Nov. 24 through Dec. 12 at no cost, arguing that the venue was at risk of losing millions in potential revenue because of the arrangement.
The Kennedy Center told the AP at the time that it was being paid $7.4million to host the draw, including a $2.4million donation from FIFA, as well as sponsorship opportunities and expenses.
In a response to White House, Grenell said he raised $117 million last year.
But the wave of cancellations proved difficult to sustain.
Without mentioning the abandoned performances, Trump said in February he would close the Kennedy Center for two years after this summer’s July Fourth celebrations to repair what he has described as a dilapidated building.
Ahead of the closure, Grenell warned staff about impending cuts that will leave ‘skeletal teams.’
According to Floca’s LinkedIn page, he joined the Kennedy Center in January 2024, during the Biden administration.
A center press release from the time describes him as ‘an experienced facilities management professional with a construction management background and an appreciation for whole building design principles.’
Previous experience for Floca listed on LinkedIn includes a handful of positions with the District of Columbia government, among them associate director of sustainability and energy and director of facilities management.
He graduated from Louisiana State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management.
The moves are expected to be finalized at a board meeting scheduled for Monday at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss plans that are not yet public.
