Richard Grenell is leaving the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after a little more than a year as its president, ending a brief and contentious tenure in which the Washington institution has lost performers and audiences. President Trump announced the change Friday on Truth Social, saying Grenell had "done an excellent job," the Washington Post reports. He said Matt Floca, the center's vice president of facilities operations, will take over. Trump had installed Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence, as part of a broad reshaping of the Kennedy Center after returning to office.
In February, Trump dismissed the center's board and named himself chairman, a move that shifted the institution away from its historically bipartisan leadership model and drew swift attention in the arts community. Under Grenell, the center faced falling ticket sales in its largest venues, a Senate Democratic investigation into spending and booking arrangements involving political allies, and backlash over a board decision to add Trump's name to the building, which led to numerous artist cancellations. Grenell has defended his record, saying the organization required structural and operational reform, asserting that it raised $117 million during his reign, and accusing prior leadership of severe financial mismanagement.
The Washington National Opera announced that it was moving out because of the drop in attendance and Grenell's decree that all productions had to demonstrate ahead of time that they'd at least break even. The National Symphony Orchestra has remained despite often performing to sparse crowds, the New York Times points out; Executive Director Jean Davidson announced her departure a week ago. Trump is closing the Kennedy Center soon for a two-year renovation. In his post Friday, the president expressed confidence in Floca, saying he "has helped us achieve tremendous progress in bringing the Center to the highest level of Excellence!"
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