Donald Trump’s pick to run the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is drawing some complaints from staffers for not being on hand as the nation’s cultural center deals with a plunge in donations, artist cancellations and heavy subscriber losses.

The facility, commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center, has been reeling since Donald Trump appointed himself the board chair and dumped existing board members and replaced them with loyalists.

In June, CNN reported that the venerable cultural institution may encounter problems paying its bills after donations started drying up.

The New York Times also reported, “Single-ticket sales were down roughly 50 percent in April and May, compared with the same period in 2024, according to the data. Subscriptions, traditionally an important source of revenue, have also declined significantly this season: Revenue was down 82 percent for theater and 57 percent for dance.”

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On Friday, CBS reported that donations are still suffering and that sources at the center are sniping at head Richard Grenell for not pulling his weight after changing his mind about taking a salary.

According to Jennifer Jacobs of CBS, “Two of the sources said Grenell has been an effective organizer but is only occasionally at the Kennedy Center. One was critical of Grenell’s salary. Grenell started off taking zero salary and is now paid $175,000, sources said, which is less than the previous president, Deborah Rutter, whose salary topped $1 million, public tax records show.”

Grenell defended the job he is doing, with the report stating corporate donations are up, as the Trump-appointee, who also serves the president as a special envoy, claimed they “don’t want to lose a single Democratic donor. We’re working hard to keep them and expand the donor base. The arts should not be political.”

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