Trump ally Ric Grenell stepping down as Kennedy Center president
[March 14, 2026]
By STEVEN SLOAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Richard Grenell, an ally of President Donald Trump who
oversaw far reaching changes at the Kennedy Center that prompted many
artists to abandon the iconic performing arts venue, will step down as
the institution's president.
Trump announced the change in a social media post on Friday after it was
first reported by Axios. The president said Matt Floca, who manages the
Kennedy Center's facilities operations, will succeed Grenell. 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.
Grenell’s departure comes as the Kennedy Center prepares to close this
summer for a two-year renovation.
“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,” Trump said online. “THE TRUMP
KENNEDY CENTER will be, at its completion, the finest facility of its
kind anywhere in the World!”
Grenell was a central player in Trump's push to dramatically overhaul
the Kennedy Center following the president's return to office. 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.
The Kennedy Center was long known as an apolitical space
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 together.
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.
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Ric Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence, speaks
during the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024, in
Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
 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.
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
$7.4 million to host the draw, including a $2.4 million donation
from FIFA, as well as sponsorship opportunities and expenses. In a
response to Whitehouse, 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.
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Associated Press journalist Hillel Italie in New York contributed to
this report.
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