Richard Grenell is stepping down from his role as the interim head of the Kennedy Center before the iconic venue closes down for major renovations, President Donald Trump said Friday.
Grenell, a former ambassador who also serves as Trump’s envoy for special missions, will be replaced at the Kenney Center by Matt Floca, vice president of facilities for the performing arts center, the president said in a social media post.
Trump, whose administration has affixed his name to the venue in apparent violation of the law and taken over programming by replacing the center’s leadership, said Floca will oversee renovations scheduled to start this year.
“A Complete Reconstruction of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will begin after the July 4th Celebration, with a scheduled Grand Re-Opening in approximately two years,” Trump said. “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’s hands-on role in remaking the Kennedy Center has drawn criticism from Democrats throughout his second term. His decision to put his name on the building drew a lawsuit from Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, and his installation of close allies to leadership posts prompted several artists to opt out of performing at the center.
Last year, the president hosted the annual Kennedy Center Honors and held the FIFA World Cup draw at the center, where he was presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
The president’s personal involvement in Kennedy Center leadership has led to fundraising problems, prompting Trump to bring in a longtime supporter to shore up the center’s finances. The move sidelined a senior leadership official at the center who worked closely with Grenell and inflated fundraising estimates.
After the president first announced plans to rebuild the Kennedy Center, he told reporters that the project won’t be a complete teardown of the iconic Washington landmark, but would instead be a renovation that preserved some elements of the existing building.