Days after turning heads by vowing to get rid of the board members of the Kennedy Center and name himself chairman, President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would be naming Ric Grenell the new interim Executive Director of the Center.
Trump has tapped Grenell for various positions in the past, and Grenell has been a longtime supporter of the President.
The Trump announcement was a pointed one, identifying the ultra-progressive slant of recent initiatives from the Kennedy Center as the primary reason it has landed in his crosshairs.
“NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA — ONLY THE BEST,” he emphasized in a post on Truth Social, before adding, “RIC, WELCOME TO SHOW BUSINESS!”
I am pleased to announce that Ric Grenell will serve as the Interim Executive Director of The Kennedy Center. Ric shares my Vision for a GOLDEN AGE of American Arts and Culture, and will be overseeing the daily operations of the Center. NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 10, 2025
The Kennedy Center, more formally known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is considered the cultural center of the nation and is the official home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.
Trump’s gripe against the Kennedy Center is that the board members “do not share our vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” His threat to remove the board and take over the Center himself is unprecedented, though as the board itself admits, it’s within the President’s power to do.
“Per the center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the center’s board members,” the statement said. “There is nothing in the center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s Board.”
The Trump administration has prioritized going after ultra-progressive (or “woke”) emphasis in government policies, and the move to replace members of the board of the Kennedy Center appears to be an extension of that plan. In a recent post on Truth Social, the President slammed the Center for endorsing and allowing pro-transgender performances, among others.
“Just last year,” he wrote, “the Kennedy featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — this will stop. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest stars on its stage from all across our Nation.”
In its statement responding to Trump’s threats, the Kennedy Center board pointed to past bipartisan support from members of Congress to justify its position that the President’s interference is unnecessary.
“Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of Congress and their staffs — Republicans, Democrats and independents,” the board wrote. “Since our doors opened in 1971, we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration. Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bipartisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a nonpartisan fashion.”
