Kennedy Center Staffers Reveal Further Layoffs

Around six workers have been dismissed as the Trump administration works to strengthen its control of the Center and its programming

According to a new report by The New York Times, at least a half-dozen workers at the Kennedy Center were recently laid off as the Trump administration intensifies its influence over the cultural institution. 

While the dismissals have not been publicized, two anonymous staffers revealed that the fired employees worked on the Center’s government relations, marketing, social media, and rentals teams. 

Since President Trump appointed himself chair and assigned a full new board and president, around 20 employees have been dismissed from the Kennedy Center. 

In protest, many artists have withdrawn their performances from the venue, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller’s musical Hamilton, as well as Rhiannen Giddens, Christian Teztlaff, and the Tetzlaff Quartet. 

Additionally, in a conversation shared by guitarist and composer Yasmin Williams with Kennedy Center’s executive director Richard Grenell, the latter wrote that “the (Center’s) programs are so woke that they haven’t made money.” 

“I cut the DEl bullshit because we can’t afford to pay people for fringe and niche programming that the public won't support,” Grenell said in response to Williams’ inquiries. “Yes, I cut the people making over $500k a year because we are in debt. Yes, we are doing programming for the masses in order to pay our bills … Kennedy Center has zero in the bank and zero in reserves and has been paying the staff with debt reserve money for the past 8 months.”

The new leadership team under Trump claimed that the Center has an operating deficit of $100 million and is $40 million in debt. However, despite those claims, recent tax filings show that the Center reported a profit of over $6 million for the fiscal year ending in September 2023. The center’s total revenue for 2023 was over $286 million.