Former Kennedy Center chief plotted to replace gifted art with Trump-aligned works

Richard Grenell, the former head of the Kennedy Center who was fired by Donald Trump, secretly pursued a plan to purge the venue’s collection of foreign-gifted artworks and replace them with pieces approved by Trump allies. Internal documents outlined a “de-accession” process that allowed returns, exchanges, public sales or even destruction of the art, and a memo urged removal of “outdated or inappropriate” works. Grenell emailed curator Josef Palermo, directing him to send unwanted pieces back to their donors immediately.

Palermo was later dismissed and claims he did not support the removals. The proposal covered more than 20 items, such as the sculpture “Blue,” which vanished from the grounds last month. The controversy unfolds amid Trump’s broader effort to rename and renovate the Center, including proposals to add his name to the building and rename the plaza, while critics and thousands of Washington residents formed a human chain to protect the memorial.