Grenell Steps Down as Kennedy Center President

President Donald Trump announced on Friday via his Truth Social platform that Richard Grenell will step down as president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, effective Monday, with Matt Floca, the center's vice president of facilities operations, set to succeed him as chief operating officer and executive director, pending board approval.

The transition occurs amid preparations for the center's closure starting in July for a two-year reconstruction project. Trump, who has served as board chairman since February 2025, described the renovations as a complete overhaul that will make the facility "the finest of its kind anywhere in the world" upon reopening. Congress allocated $257 million for the work in legislation passed last year. The board, which meets Monday at the White House with Trump in attendance, is expected to review the shutdown plans.

Grenell, a longtime Trump adviser with a background in diplomacy rather than arts administration, assumed the interim presidency in February 2025 following Trump's appointment of himself as chairman and replacement of the previous board with administration-aligned members. During his tenure, the center implemented...