The board president of The Kennedy Center lashed out at the niece of the center’s namesake in a social media post on Thursday after she criticized President Donald Trump.
Maria Shriver, who’s the niece of President John F. Kennedy, criticized the Kennedy Center’s board for agreeing to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center in a post on X. She said the decision was “beyond comprehension” and “beyond wild.”
“It is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy,” Shriver’s post reads in part. “It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”
Richard Grenell, a former Trump advisor who has served as the Kennedy Center’s board president since February, responded to Shriver’s comments.
“The place was literally falling apart and you didn’t help – at all,” Grenell said in a post of his own. “Where you been, Maria? You were completely silent while the building crumbled. Donald Trump had to step in and save it because you didn’t help. You should thank him.”
Trump’s efforts to remake the Kennedy Center in his image have drawn widespread criticism. Multiple Kennedy Center board members resigned after Trump appointed Grenell to lead the board in February. Several high-profile artists and musicians have also cancelled dates at the Kennedy Center in protest of Trump’s actions.
The place was literally falling apart and you didn’t help – at all. Where you been, Maria? You were completely silent while the building crumbled. Donald Trump had to step in and save it because you didn’t help. You should thank him. https://t.co/ngBPNkrf4w — Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) December 18, 2025
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