Ric Grenell, a longtime ally of Donald Trump’s, is stepping down from his post as head of the Kennedy Center after a turbulent year that included numerous artists canceling their performances over the president’s effort to add his name to the iconic venue.
Grenell will be replaced by Matt Floca, vice president of facilities operations at the Kennedy Center, Trump said Friday on Truth Social. The building is set to close for two years beginning in July to undergo renovations sought by Trump.
“I am pleased to announce that Matt Floca, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, will be named the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER,” Trump wrote in the post.
He also thanked Grenell, who also serves as presidential envoy for special missions, for his work at the center.
“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 post said.
Grenell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Axios first reported on his departure.
Grenell was named interim president in early February 2025, days after Trump removed multiple members from the board of trustees before naming himself the new chair, and has been a key figure in Trump’s efforts to overhaul the center, including affixing the president’s name to the building.
Trump’s handpicked board voted in December to rename the venue. The move drew a legal challenge from a House Democrat, who argued that the name cannot be changed unilaterally since it was established through congressional legislation that was signed into law.
The name change effort spurred backlash from numerous artists and musicians who canceled their performances at the Kennedy Center, including Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming and composer Philip Glass.
In response to the cancellations, Grenell at times took an antagonistic approach. He threatened to sue Chuck Redd, a jazz drummer, after the musician backed out of hosting the center’s annual “Jazz Jam,” which Redd had presided over since 2006.
During Trump’s first term, Grenell was U.S. ambassador to Germany before also stepping into the role of acting director of national intelligence.
Trump has sought to stamp his name on other parts of the federal government, from adding it to the sign on the headquarters of the U.S. Institute of Peace to announcing “Trump-class battleships.”
The former real estate magnate is also pushing for construction of a $400 million White House ballroom, an effort that has already resulted in the demolition of the East Wing, in addition to plans to construct a 250-foot arch near the Potomac River that has drawn comparisons to France’s Arc de Triomphe.
