Trump announced that Rick Grenell will step down from his position as head of the Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON (AP) — Richard Grenell, an ally of President Donald Trump who oversaw far-reaching changes at the Kennedy Center that prompted many artists to abandon the iconic performing arts venue, will step down as president of the institution.

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Trump announced the change in a social media post on Friday after it was first reported by Axios. Matt Floca, who runs Kennedy Center facilities operations, will succeed Grenell, the president said. The moves are expected to be finalized at a board meeting scheduled for Monday at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the plans that have not yet been announced.

Grenell’s departure comes as the Kennedy Center prepares to close this summer for a two-year renovation.

“Rick Grenell did an excellent job helping coordinate the various components of the center during the transition, and I want to thank him for the outstanding job he did,” Trump said online. “The Trump Kennedy Center, when completed, will be the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the world!”

Grenell was a key player in Trump’s campaign to significantly reform the Kennedy Center after the president returned to office. After Trump largely ignored the center during his first term, he made it a focal point in his war against “woke” culture. He ousted the Kennedy Center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees that voted to rename the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say should be initiated by Congress.

Recently, Trump’s name was actually added to the building’s iconic facade.

The fallout from the arts community was swift and intense, with high-profile musicals, such as “Hamilton,” canceling their shows. Actor Issa Rae and author Louise Penny also withdrew from appearing, while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renee Fleming resigned. Last week, National Symphony Orchestra executive director Jean Davidson left to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

The Kennedy Center has long been known as an apolitical place

The Kennedy Center, best known for its annual honors program, was perhaps one of the few places in Washington where political differences were set aside. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – ideological opposites – have famously attended the opera together.

But the place became an extension of Trump’s White House during his second term. The president was instrumental in convincing FIFA President Gianni Infantino to hold the World Cup draw there in December. Just a few days later, Trump himself hosted the award ceremony at the Kennedy Center, the first of its kind for a president.

Since then, Trump has addressed House Republicans at the Kennedy Center. First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary also premiered there.

Grenell is a longtime Republican foreign policy adviser. During Trump’s first term, he was US ambassador to Germany and special presidential envoy for peace negotiations in Serbia and Kosovo. He also served as acting director of national intelligence and was considered a contender for secretary of state in Trump’s second term, a position that eventually went to Marco Rubio.

In his position at the Kennedy Center, Grenell emphasized what he called “common sense” programming, aimed at steering the venue toward events that would attract broad audiences and not lose money. But his moves drew criticism from many Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, released documents in November showing that the Kennedy Center entered into an agreement giving FIFA “exclusive” use of the facility from Nov. 24 through Dec. 12 at no cost, arguing that the venue was at risk of losing millions in potential revenue because of the arrangement.

The Kennedy Center told the AP at the time that it received $7.4 million to host the lottery, including a $2.4 million donation from FIFA, plus sponsorship opportunities and expenses. In response to Whitehouse, Grenell said he raised $117 million last year.

But the wave of cancellations has proven difficult to sustain. Without mentioning the abandoned displays, Trump said in February that he would close the Kennedy Center for two years after this summer’s Fourth of July celebrations to repair what he described as a dilapidated building.

Before the shutdown, Grenell warned employees of impending cuts that would leave “skeletal teams.”

According to Floca’s LinkedIn page, he joined the Kennedy Center in January 2024, during the Biden administration.

A center press release at the time describes him as “an experienced facilities management professional with a background in construction management and an appreciation for entire building design principles.”

Listed on LinkedIn, Floca’s previous experience includes a number of positions in District of Columbia government, including associate director of sustainability and energy and director of facilities management. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.

Associated Press journalist Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report.