President Trump on Monday named his former director of national security, Ric Grenell, as temporary head of the Kennedy Center after he fired several board members and named himself chairman of the Washington performing arts venue.
“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 propaganda – only the best,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.
The move comes just days after Mr. Trump cleaned house at the venerable institution, terminating multiple members from the board of trustees, including Chairman David Rubenstein because they “do not share our vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
“Just last year, 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,” he wrote in a post that lapsed into all capital letters.
In a statement, the Kennedy Center said it was aware of Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post, but had not received any official communications from the White House. It also noted that some board members had received termination notices from the Trump administration.
“Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of Congress and their staffs — Republicans, Democrats and independents. 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,” the statement said.
“While we are a living memorial to President Kennedy, we are also a unique public-private partnership. The center is supported by federal annual appropriations for the upkeep and maintenance of the building as a federal memorial, or approximately 16% of the total operating budget. Support for the center’s artistic programming comes from ticket sales, donations, rental income, and other revenue sources.”
The statement also noted that the chairman of the board of trustees is appointed by board members, per the center’s governance established by Congress in 1958.
“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,” it said.
Mr. Rubenstein, a lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist, is the co-founder of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. He is also the owner and president of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
Mr. Rubenstein announced he was going to retire in January 2025, but planned to stay on until September 2026. He was originally appointed to the board by President George W. Bush and reappointed by Presidents Obama and Biden.
Mr. Biden attended the annual Kennedy Center Honors for all four years of his presidency, but Mr. Trump declined to attend the star-studded tributes during his first term.
The board has 36 members, who are currently split evenly between Biden and Trump appointees. All members are appointed by presidents and serve six-year terms.
Some of Mr. Biden’s appointees during his final weeks included former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and political strategist Mike Donilon. One of the Trump appointees from his first term is current Attorney General Pam Bondi.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.