Richard Grenell, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, issued a strong rebuke on Wednesday after Broadway legend Patti LuPone said the institution “should get blown up” following its recent reorganization under President Donald Trump.
“The far Left has morphed into violent extremists. This is completely unacceptable — from the same people who claim to be for tolerance and diversity,” Grenell, also Trump’s special presidential envoy for special missions, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday. “Everyone should condemn these radicals.”
LuPone, 76, made the explosive remark in an interview with the New Yorker, criticizing Trump’s overhaul of the Kennedy Center board.
“She told me, more than once, that the Trumpified Kennedy Center ‘should get blown up,’” New Yorker contributor Michael Schulman wrote.
LuPone also expressed disdain for Trump’s influence on the arts and said she wished the administration would “leave New York alone.”
She has been a vocal Trump critic for years, previously saying she would move to Ireland if he were reelected and once declaring on the Tony Awards red carpet that she would refuse to perform for him “because I hate the motherf***er.”
hey wanna come over and listen to me talk about patti lupone’s kennedy center honors performance of the 1946 smash hit ‘come rain or come shine’? it’ll be really hot pic.twitter.com/V33J34iclW
— a l a i n a (@frycookonv3nus) September 2, 2023
The Kennedy Center has recently undergone a major transformation under Grenell’s leadership, aligned with Trump’s broader vision to restore what he called a “Golden Age in arts and culture.”
In a Truth Social post, Trump pledged to “make the Kennedy Center great again” by eliminating programming he claimed promoted divisive ideologies, including drag shows “targeting” children.
Since then, the Kennedy Center has expanded its Broadway lineup and family-friendly programming. Its 2025–26 season includes major hits like The Outsiders, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Back to the Future, alongside children’s favorites like Bluey and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE.
“We’re proud of the Kennedy Center’s new season and confident the public will be as well,” Grenell said. “America’s premier arts institution deserves programming that resonates with the masses.”
KENNEDY CENTER EXPANDS BROADWAY AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY SHOWS IN TRUMP ERA
The institution has also seen early signs of success. A screening of the animated faith-based film King of Kings sold out in under a week, prompting the center to add a second showing.
The film, produced by Angel Studios, features an all-star cast including Oscar Isaac, Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, and Kristin Chenoweth. Studio executive Jordan Harmon praised the Kennedy Center’s embrace of traditional programming, calling it “a victory for faith, family, and the future of storytelling.”