The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has started laying off staff as it prepares for a two-year closure for renovations, following the Trump administration's decision to shutter the venue. The Washington Post reported that a double-digit number of employees have been affected across key departments, including programming, development, advertising, marketing, and the president's office.
Among those dismissed were Nick Meade and Rick Loughery, senior leadership figures installed by Richard Grenell, the Trump-appointed official overseeing the transition. Roma Daravi, the centre's vice president of public relations, confirmed the cuts, saying they would support a successful closure for renovations.
In a February email obtained by The Post, Grenell warned that departments would be scaled down or “totally reduced” during the construction phase, which is due to begin in early July. The centre plans to reopen in 2028.
Staff have expressed significant concern, with one anonymous employee telling The Post that the “language of ‘renovation’ masks a leadership failure” and that the situation is a “self-inflicted” crisis. Another described it as “stupid and cruel.”
President Trump defended the closure as a response to $250 million in deferred maintenance caused by “decades of gross negligence.” He insisted he was not “ripping down” the memorial but would “use the steel.” The move is the latest in a series of changes at the centre, including the replacement of board members with loyalists and the addition of Trump's name to the venue.
