Latest news with #RicGrenell
Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: MAGA's favorite restaurant partners with Kennedy Center
Butterworth's, the MAGA-favorite watering hole on Capitol Hill, is partnering with the Kennedy Center and will offer discounts to some of its customers, according to plans first shared with Axios. Why it matters: The deal is the latest sign of MAGA's growing entrenchment in the Washington cultural scene, and comes as the Kennedy Center faces backlash for President Trump's takeover of the iconic theater venue. Details: Starting Wednesday, Butterworth's will offer 10% off checks for Kennedy Center ticket holders, staffers and performers. Butterworth's, which is frequented by Steve Bannon and other prominent MAGA personalities, joins several other restaurants in offering perks to those affiliated with the Kennedy Center. Ticketholders for next week's Les Miserables showings will qualify for the discount. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance and second lady Usha Vance will be in attendance at opening night on Wednesday, according to Fox News. The big picture: Trump moved swiftly to assert control over the Kennedy Center after inauguration, firing its president, naming himself chairman of the board, and appointing longtime ally Ric Grenell as interim executive director. Performances from groups like the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C. were cancelled, and artists like Issa Rae and the Hamilton cast boycotted their scheduled appearances. Trump's takeover has also sparked protests outside of the theater. The intrigue: Subscription sales for the next season of programming at the Kennedy Center are down about 36% compared to this time last year, according to internal data obtained by The Washington Post. The Kennedy Center denied any drop, saying the data stemmed from a consolidation of subscription packages. The Kennedy Center also boasted to Fox News that Les Miserables, one of Trump's favorite musicals, has topped $3 million in ticket sales at the box office. Zoom in: The popularity of Butterworth's and Trump's reshaping of the Kennedy Center are two examples of MAGA making good on its promise to disrupt Washington's culture, not just its politics. Trump claimed last week that he fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery. In March, he signed an executive order calling for the removal of "improper ideology" from the district's Smithsonian museums. Butterworth's, opened just before the 2024 election, has drawn headlines as the place to see and be seen among MAGA adherents, replacing the lobby of the former Trump International Hotel during the president's first term. An "America Is Hot Again" event hosted by the Conservateur earlier this year solidified it as a spot for young conservatives. Bannon, The National Pulse editor Raheem Kassam (who is also a co-investor), Grenell and other administration officials are regulars at the Capitol Hill restaurant. What they're saying: "I'm a long-standing Kennedy Center admirer, and a big fan of what Ric Grenell and his team are doing to breathe new life into what is arguably D.C.'s most important cultural institution," Kassam told Axios. "I'm also aware that many people think Butterworth's is explicitly a 'MAGA' venue. Kennedy Center attendees of all political stripes (or none) should feel free to come and find out what we're all about for themselves. We welcome everyone who loves great food and impeccable vibes."
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Kennedy Centre vice-president ‘fired for views on gay people'
The vice-president of the Kennedy Centre claims he was sacked by a gay ally of Donald Trump over his beliefs on homosexuality. Floyd Brown suggested that Ric Grenell, the president of the performing arts centre in Washington DC of which Mr Trump took control after taking office, had been 'intimidated' by a news article which relayed comments he previously made about homosexuality and gay marriage. Mr Brown said in a statement on social media he was threatened with dismissal if he refused to 'recant' his beliefs on homosexuality and that Mr Grenell, who is gay, refused to provide an explanation for his dismissal. But sources close to Mr Grenell have rejected Mr Brown's version of events. Mr Trump moved to take control of the Kennedy Centre soon after returning to office this year, replacing its board members with figures whom critics characterise as loyalists with scant interest in the arts. Sacking 'followed CNN questions' Mr Brown, the founder of the conservative Western Journal website, said he had been recruited as vice-president last month. In a post on social media, he said he was sacked two hours after receiving an email from CNN seeking clarity on his views about traditional marriage and 'homosexual influence' in the Republican Party. According to CNN, Mr Brown has made a series of anti-gay statements over the course of several decades. In 2023, he claimed on a conservative radio programme: 'Homosexuality is a punishment that comes upon a nation that has rejected God. They're debasing themselves and their humanity.' He has also criticised the 'acceptance of the open promotion of the gay lifestyle inside the tent of conservatism'. claimed same-sex marriage is 'godless', and attacked George W. Bush, the former president, for appointing a gay chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). 'It was truly not my intention to offend anyone with my comments,' Mr Brown said in his statement. 'I have never intended to attack or demean any person in my statements, and have always shared the mission of Jesus, striving to love others unconditionally. 'The amazing beauty of the Maga [Make America Great Again] movement is we have people of many different beliefs inside our tent.' Mr Brown claimed he was told he would be sacked if he refused to renounce his beliefs on homosexuality, although it is unclear if he was claiming Mr Grenell delivered this message personally. 'Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door. My beliefs are much more common to Biblical Christianity,' he said. Brown's account labelled inaccurate Mr Brown added: 'My only conclusion is Richard Grenell was intimidated by a CNN story… so he pre-emptively fired me for my Christian beliefs on marriage.' A source familiar with the Kennedy Centre told The Telegraph Mr Brown's social media post was inaccurate. Mr Grenell 'had not met with Brown, did not know him, and was not involved in his hiring', a source told CNN. Mr Grenell is a long-time ally of Mr Trump, serving as ambassador to Germany in the president's first term. His name was floated as a potential secretary of state before Marco Rubio's nomination last year, and he currently serves as presidential envoy for special missions.
Wall Street Journal
20-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Venezuela Frees U.S. Air Force Veteran in Overture to Trump
Venezuela released an imprisoned U.S. Air Force veteran to American officials, people familiar with the negotiation said, a move Caracas hopes could improve bilateral relations and encourage the Trump administration to allow Western oil companies to continue operating. President Trump's envoy Ric Grenell oversaw the release of Joseph St. Clair Tuesday during a handover with Venezuelan authorities in Antigua and Barbuda, people with knowledge of the negotiation said. St Clair was expected to arrive in the Washington area aboard a private chartered jet later Tuesday.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kennedy Center Boss Wants to Blacklist Trump-Boycotting Stars of ‘Les Misérables'
The Trump-backed head of the Kennedy Center has called for a blacklist of artists who choose not to perform at the Washington, D.C. venue. Ric Grenell, reacting Wednesday to headlines about cast members of Les Misérables who are planning to boycott the president's scheduled appearance next month, demanded career-altering consequences for 'vapid and intolerant artists.' 'Any performer who isn't professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won't be welcomed,' Grenell said in a statement to The New York Times. 'In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn't hire — and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience," he continued. The right-wing takeover of the Kennedy Center saw Trump install himself as chairman, oust all of the nominees former President Joe Biden named to the board, and name his own his allies in their place. Yet that shouldn't be a problem for artists, according to Grenell. 'The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoys a performance together,' he said. Yet that's not the way many see the historic institution. 'The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we're not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center,' Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda explained upon cancelling his own performances there. 'We're just not going to be part of it.' Grenell's call for a blacklist is the latest instance of his feud with Miranda. Just yesterday, the Trump special envoy aired his grievances with ABC and American Idol for simply having Miranda mentor contestants. This, he complained, was 'an obvious move to support political intolerance.' Grenell even requested that Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr get involved, though what he could do about it remains unclear.
The Hill
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Kennedy Center cancels Pride performance featuring Gay Men's Chorus of Washington
The Kennedy Center canceled an upcoming performance set to feature the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, which the center said was due to financial constraints and scheduling conflicts. The chorus, one of the oldest LGBTQ choral organizations in the U.S., was set to perform alongside the National Symphony Orchestra in May as part of this summer's WorldPride festival in Washington. 'We are deeply disappointed with the news that our upcoming Pride performance with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has been canceled,' the chorus said in a statement on social media. 'We believe in the power of music to educate and uplift, to foster love, understanding, and community, and we regret that this opportunity has been taken away,' the group said. 'While we are saddened by the decision, we are committed to this work and to our mission of raising our voices for equality for all. We are grateful for those who have supported us, and we will continue to seek spaces where our voices, our stories, and our music can be heard.' The event, 'A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride,' was removed last week from the Kennedy Center's website, The Advocate reported, just days after Trump terminated the cultural center's board of trustees and installed himself as chairman. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the decision to take over the Kennedy Center was made, in part, because of a drag performance held there last year. He called drag shows 'anti-American propaganda' in another post announcing his selection of Ric Grenell to lead the center as executive director. Grenell, also serving as an envoy for special missions, became the first openly gay Cabinet member when he was appointed acting director of national intelligence during Trump's first term. In an emailed statement, Jean Davidson, executive director of the NSO, said the Kennedy Center's decision to cancel the performance preceded Trump's takeover. 'Before the leadership transition at the Kennedy Center, we made the decision to postpone Peacock Among Pigeons due to financial and scheduling factors. We chose to replace it with The Wizard of Oz, another suitable program for World PRIDE participation,' Davidson said. 'Program changes are a common practice. We were unable to announce the replacement program until we had secured the rights to present it, but in the interest of transparency, we removed the original program from the website to prevent further ticket sales,' she said. The original performance, which the Kennedy Center announced in June, was to be based on Tyler Curry and Clarione Gutierrez's children's book 'A Peacock Among Pigeons,' about learning to embrace and celebrate one's differences. It was billed as a musical accompaniment to WorldPride, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, a coalition of more than 300 members that serenaded former President Bill Clinton at his second inauguration in 1997, said it still plans to perform 'A Peacock Among Pigeons' during its upcoming choral festival, also a part of WorldPride. 'We will continue to advocate for artistic expression that reflects the depth and diversity of our community and country,' the group said. 'We will continue to sing and raise our voices for equality.'
