Ric Grenell Steps Down as Kennedy Center President

"Since being appointed interim president in February 2025, Grenell has spearheaded a comprehensive and highly contentious restructuring of the Kennedy Center in accordance with Trump's "America First" cultural vision. The overhaul involved a shift away from what Trump characterized as "woke" programming in favor of more classical, "patriotic," and "family friendly" performances, as well as a reimagining of the Kennedy Center Honors to celebrate figures hand-selected by the president himself."

"The dramatic upheaval at the Kennedy Center has been met with a number of high-level staff resignations and a wave of cancelations from prominent artists including Philip Glass, Stephen Schwartz, Renée Fleming, Béla Fleck, and Rhiannon Giddens, among others."

Ric Grenell has stepped down as president of the Kennedy Center following a contentious tenure beginning in February 2025. During his time leading the Washington, DC venue, Grenell orchestrated a comprehensive restructuring reflecting Trump's "America First" cultural vision. This included eliminating what Trump termed "woke" programming in favor of classical, patriotic, and family-friendly performances, and redesigning the Kennedy Center Honors to feature presidentially selected honorees. Physical changes included renaming the venue to include Trump's name and announcing a two-year closure for renovations. The overhaul triggered significant backlash, resulting in numerous high-level staff departures and cancelations from prominent artists including Philip Glass, Stephen Schwartz, Renée Fleming, Béla Fleck, and Rhiannon Giddens. Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center's vice president of facilities operations, will assume the presidency.

Read at Consequence