{"id":2478762,"date":"2025-08-25T21:36:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T01:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kennedy-centers-president-rebukes-couric-over-trump-disgrace-comments\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T21:39:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T01:39:11","slug":"kennedy-centers-president-rebukes-couric-over-trump-disgrace-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kennedy-centers-president-rebukes-couric-over-trump-disgrace-comments\/","title":{"rendered":"Kennedy Center\u2019s President Rebukes Couric Over Trump \u2018Disgrace\u2019 Comments"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkennedy-centers-president-rebukes-couric-over-trump-disgrace-comments%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2478762&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reports on a recent cultural clash involving journalist Katie Couric and the Kennedy center for the Performing Arts under President Donald Trump&#8217;s leadership. Couric criticized the Kennedy Center on Instagram, calling it a &#8220;disgrace&#8221; due to changes implemented since Trump took control earlier this year. Trump appointed himself chairman and replaced 14 board members,aiming to eliminate what he called &#8220;woke programming&#8221; and reshape the institution&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vivek-ramaswamy-confirms-elon-musks-attendance-at-fundraiser\/\" title=\"Elon Musk to attend fundraiser, confirms Vivek Ramaswamy.\">cultural direction<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Grenell, Trump&#8217;s special envoy and current Kennedy Center president, sharply responded to Couric&#8217;s comments, defending the administration&#8217;s actions. Grenell argued that the prior leadership left the Center in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/indias-go-first-ceo-says-airline-has-owner-govt-support-after-bankruptcy-filing\/\" title=\"Go First CEO confirms owner and government support after bankruptcy filing in India.\">poor financial condition<\/a> and that no shows had been canceled; instead, the Center now welcomes a broader audience. He emphasized the ideological and fiscal restructuring underway.<\/p>\n<p>Under Trump and Grenell&#8217;s leadership, the Kennedy Center&#8217;s programming shifted toward popular, family-kind entertainment and included honorees like Sylvester Stallone, KISS, George strait, and Gloria Gaynor. The new season showcased mainstream Broadway productions and achieved strong ticket sales and renewed donor interest.<\/p>\n<p>Couric&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >criticism stirred debate online<\/a>, with some supporting Grenell&#8217;s response and others mocking Couric.This dispute illustrates the Kennedy Center&#8217;s ongoing pivot under Trump&#8217;s vision to revitalize and redefine the prestigious cultural institution. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Kennedy Center&rsquo;s president rebukes Couric over Trump &lsquo;disgrace&rsquo; comments<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2203102\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A cultural clash erupted this weekend after journalist Katie Couric denounced the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3498587\/stallone-kiss-strait-trump-kennedy-center-honorees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kennedy Center<\/a> as a &ldquo;disgrace&rdquo; under President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3499233\/trump-hits-back-at-dictator-label-urges-critics-to-join-him-in-d-c-crime-crackdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s new leadership, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the institution&rsquo;s president.<\/p>\n<p>Couric, the former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3483820\/joe-concha-stephen-colbert-suggests-cbs-save-face-by-firing-immediately\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBS<\/a> <em>Evening News<\/em> anchor, reacted on Instagram to a Kennedy Center post showcasing attendees at an opera event. <\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3781640\/cracker-barrel-admits-couldve-done-better-job-rebrand\/\">Cracker Barrel admits it &#8216;could&#8217;ve done a better job&#8217; with rebrand<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/3760816\/house-gop-earmarks-small-government-rhetoric\/\">Leading House conservatives tout earmarks despite small-government rhetoric<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3762388\/property-taxes-least-bad-except-land-tax\/\">Property taxes are actually the least bad tax &mdash; except for one<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;This is so sad. I grew up going to the Kennedy Center, which was about 20 minutes from our house in Arlington,&rdquo; Couric commented. &ldquo;What they&rsquo;ve done to it is a disgrace.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Her remarks targeted Trump&rsquo;s controversial takeover of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which he assumed control over earlier this year after winning reelection. Trump installed himself as chairman and replaced 14 members of the board, promising to end what he called &ldquo;woke programming.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3454401\/grenell-blasts-cynthia-nixon-support-mamdani-moronic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Richard Grenell<\/a>, Trump&rsquo;s special envoy and now president of the Kennedy Center, clapped back directly in the comments.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kencen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@kencen<\/a> team posted a group picture at the Opera in the Outfield event and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/katiecouric?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@katiecouric<\/a> attacked us. <\/p>\n<p>So I responded to Katie. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IPvLtWgI6s\">pic.twitter.com\/IPvLtWgI6s<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1959754076494942210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t cancel a single show. Your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walzs-football-knowledge-called-into-question-after-he-butchers-simple-analogy\/\" title=\"Tim Walz...s Football Knowledge Called Into Question After He Butchers Simple Analogy\">team couldn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t perform for Republicans. They cancelled,&rdquo; Grenell wrote. &ldquo;It is this exact intolerance that we fight against. Everyone is welcome to the Kennedy Center &hellip; even you!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Grenell has defended the reorganization as both ideological and financial. He claimed the previous leadership left the institution with &ldquo;zero cash on hand&rdquo; and &ldquo;crisis-level deferred maintenance,&rdquo; forcing his team to rebuild the center&rsquo;s fiscal health while reshaping its cultural direction.<\/p>\n<p>Trump recently unveiled this year&rsquo;s Kennedy Center honorees, a lineup that included actor Sylvester Stallone, rock legends KISS, country star George Strait, and disco icon Gloria Gaynor.<\/p>\n<p>The new Kennedy Center season reflects his vision, featuring Broadway imports such as T<em>he Outsiders, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Monty Python&rsquo;s Spamalot<\/em>, and <em>Back to the Future: The Musical,<\/em> alongside family-friendly programming like <em>Bluey&rsquo;s Big Play <\/em>and<em> Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Officials say the strategy is working. Nearly all five weeks of<em> Les Mis&eacute;rables <\/em>were sold out, and donor interest is reportedly rebounding.<\/p>\n<p>Couric, a longtime Washington-area resident frequently attending the Kennedy Center Honors, amplified her criticism through her media company&rsquo;s social channels, but Trump supporters quickly rallied online.<\/p>\n<p>One user cheered Grenell&rsquo;s retort: &ldquo;Sass and class! Get &rsquo;em, Ric!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3331493\/trump-to-make-christmas-great-again-at-the-kennedy-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>TRUMP TO MAKE CHRISTMAS GREAT AGAIN AT THE KENNEDY CENTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another mocked Couric, writing, &ldquo;Katie who?&rdquo; with another replying: &ldquo;You remember her, she worked alongside that perverted sicko Matt Lauer for years and never said a word.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The exchange highlights a moment when the premier cultural institution is pivoting back toward popular entertainment under Trump&rsquo;s vision to &ldquo;make the Kennedy Center great again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kennedy Center chief fires back at Couric over Trump critique<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2678,"featured_media":2478763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/courickennedycentercollage.jpg?1756151749&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[61984,50057,3669,3634],"class_list":["post-2478762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-couric","tag-kennedy-center","tag-president","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/courickennedycentercollage.jpg?1756151749&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2678"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2478762"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478762\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2478766,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478762\/revisions\/2478766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2478763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2478762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2478762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2478762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}