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The Kennedy Center, previously managed by the elite class in Washington, D.C., is facing financial difficulties partly due to inflated salaries for top executives, according to an inside source who spoke with Breitbart News.
President Donald Trump appointed Ric Grenell as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center, tasking him with restoring the nation’s premier cultural institution to its former glory.
As a professional opera singer who sang at the Kennedy Center before the lockdowns and woke culture, I am extremely excited about POTUS being the chairman of the board! I would be honored to sing at The Kennedy center again and for potus! @RichardGrenell @POTUS @realDonaldTrump… pic.twitter.com/85yLPTGXTn
— Alexandra Levine (@AlexandraLevi20) February 12, 2025
Established in 1971 and named in honor of the late President John F. Kennedy in 1964, the center has hosted events that promoted woke ideologies during the Biden administration. Its exterior was even illuminated in rainbow colors, a display often associated with LGBTQ+ pride.
“Ric shares my vision for a golden age of American arts and culture, and he will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Center,” Trump stated on social media. “No more drag shows or other anti-American propaganda – only the best. Ric, welcome to show business!”
Despite having an annual budget of $240 million, the Kennedy Center has depleted its cash reserves, the source revealed to Breitbart News.
While the center receives 16 percent of its annual operating budget from federal appropriations, the majority of its financial support comes from ticket sales, donations, rental income, and other revenue streams.
“I was briefed today by the CFO of the Kennedy Center on its financial situation,” Grenell posted on X. “She told me there is ZERO cash on hand. And ZERO in reserves. And the deferred maintenance is a crisis.”
“For the past months they’ve been digging into the DEBT RESERVES,” he added. “We must fix this great institution. The people working hard at the Nation’s premier performing arts center deserve better – and so do all Americans.”
Grenell has already initiated changes to the budget, firing several highly paid executives and reducing the payroll by $2.4 million, according to the source.
As a former professional ballet dancer, I cannot wait to see what @POTUS does to Make the Kennedy Center Great Again!👏🏼🩰 No more DEI initiatives destroying the beautiful performing arts. pic.twitter.com/Jcb56VdcEt
— Roma Daravi (@romadaravi) February 12, 2025
The terminated executives include the Center’s former president and general counsel.
He plans to hire new staff at salaries six figures lower than those previously paid to executives in those roles.
New members of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees have also been announced, including President Donald Trump, Susie Wiles, Dan Scavino, Allison Lutnick, Lynda Lomangino, Mindy Levine, Usha Vance, Pamela Gross, John Falconetti, Cheri Summerall, Sergio Gor, Emilia May Fanjul, Patricia Duggan, and Dana Blumberg.
