Ric Grenell to step down as Kennedy Center president after controversial tenure

Ric Grenell, a close ally of President Donald Trump who took control of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts last year during an authoritarian leadership shake-up, is expected to step down Monday as the institution’s president, Axios reports.

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Grenell, who is gay, will transition out of the role but remain involved with the center as an unpaid consultant, according to the outlet. He is expected to be succeeded by Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of facilities operations.

The leadership change is expected to be announced during a Kennedy Center board meeting at the White House that Trump is slated to attend.

Matt Florca is expected to take over the leadership role at the Kennedy Center.Courtesy The Kennedy Center

Grenell assumed leadership of the Kennedy Center in February 2025 after Trump moved to remake the institution’s board and leadership, installing allies and describing the changes as part of what he called a coming “golden age” for American arts and culture.

His tenure quickly became one of the most politically contentious periods in the center’s modern history.

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Several artists distanced themselves from the institution following the leadership overhaul. Among them was Lin-Manuel Miranda, who canceled a planned staging of Hamilton tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Actor and producer Issa Rae also scrapped a sold-out appearance at the venue.

Programming decisions also drew criticism from LGBTQ+ artists and advocates. A Pride concert featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., and the National Symphony Orchestra was canceled after the leadership transition, and some WorldPride 2025 events were moved to other venues after organizers said the Kennedy Center no longer felt welcoming. The center also faced backlash after members of Log Cabin Republicans disrupted a performance by guitarist Yasmin Williams.

The center also faced backlash after members of Log Cabin Republicans disrupted a performance by guitarist Yasmin Williams, an incident that intensified criticism of the institution’s increasingly politicized atmosphere.

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The leadership transition comes as the Kennedy Center prepares for a sweeping renovation project championed by Trump, after the center’s board, despite objections and questions about whether federal law allows it, changed the institution’s name to the Trump Kennedy Center.

Last month, the president announced that the venue, plagued by low ticket sales since he took office, will close in July for two years for what he described as “Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding,” promising a “new and spectacular Entertainment Complex” when it reopens.

Congress approved roughly $257 million for the reconstruction project in last year’s federal spending package, and the Kennedy Center’s board is expected to vote Monday on formally approving the shutdown.