January 12, 2026 • 18 mins
Over the weekend, The Kennedy Center director claimed his X account was hacked… and that’s why his original tweet announcing ITS decision to end its partnership with the Washington National Opera was taken down. Richard Grenell was not happy with the media headlines that all read the Opera was leaving the Kennedy Center, making it the biggest departure yet in a growing number of artists who have cancelled shows or boycotted the center under Trump’s leadership. Many have commented it appears Grenell has found another excuse to blame hackers and the media for the fallout from Trump’s takeover.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hey, there're folks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It is Monday, January twelfth, and a story developing over
the weekend and into this Monday morning, and it has
everything to do with a situation you've certainly been through
in your life. Ever had a breakup and you think
everything was cool, but then you find out the person
you broke up with is going around telling everybody that
they were the one that dumped you, and then you
(00:34):
come back and try to correct the record. Yeah, that
thing is happening between the Kennedy Center and the Washington
National Opera. And with that, welcome to this episode of
Amy and TJ and Rose. The story gets weirder because
you think, why is this a big deal?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Who needs to take credit? Who dumped whom? Who cares well?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Apparently the head of the Kennedy Center cares enough and
has I don't I shouldn't say concocted, but has told
us a wild story having to do even with his
Twitter account being hacked. Yes, folks, that's how we're getting
started on this early Monday with this developing store.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Richard Grennell, who is the director of the Trump Kennedy Center,
has said that.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
We need to make a decision what are we going
to call it?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Well, I we can say the Kennedy Center, but I
said it that way because that's how he refers to
his title.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
To make it what here? Officially? What are we going
to go with?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
To make sure we don't get shut down or sued
or threatened or whatever? We here on Amy and DJ,
we are.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Going with what the Kennedy Center?
Speaker 1 (01:34):
All right?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Then there it is.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
The NPR actually made a whole NPR made a whole.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
A whole paragraph as to why they will continue to
call it the Kennedy Center, and I stand by that.
But yes, on Friday we heard from the Washington National
Opera they announced they were parting ways with the Kennedy Center.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
That's a big deal. This was a forty five year.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Relationship, and so of course there were going to be
lots of headlines. But I think I think it's fair
to start with their statement because it was really non political.
It was actually quite kind, quite lovely of a breakup letter,
so to speak. So it said that it's seeking an
amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy
Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity
(02:19):
to ensure fiscal prudence and fulfill its obligations for a
balanced budget, The Washington National Opera will reduce its spring
season and relocate performances to new venues.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
This is a decision.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Centered on doing what is best for the WNO going
forward after an amicable transition. The board and management of
the company wishes the Center well in its own future endeavors.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
All Right, no big deal there, or shouldn't have been,
the only reason this was a big deal or headlined
is because this is another and arguably the most high profile,
most significant, most relevant artist leaving the Kennedy Center since
Trump took over as head of the Kennedy Center, and
since they put his name on the building on the
(03:04):
outside in front of John F. Kennedy's name, this living
memorial to him, so it's relevant. We see several artists,
some artists and names you never heard of, don't know,
play folk music, whatever, but still they are artists who
are leaving. And there have been some high profile ones
as well. We'll get into those. But the point here,
Ropes is that this is a big deal and it
is significant that this nearly fifty year relationship is ending.
(03:28):
They didn't necessarily say because Trump is head or because
his name is on the front. Things have changed. We
need to leave headlines are made. Okay, let's move on.
This was on Friday, or so we thought, and then
the story exploded in a way over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yes, on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
The director of the Center, Richard Grennell, made it very
clear it was their organization, the Kennedy Center, that decided
to entie with the Washington National Opera, not the other
way around. In fact, he went on to his X
account and said, yes, as you mentioned that it had
been hacked, because he said he put the story out
(04:07):
initially on Friday, but it disappeared. So he wrote, I
have alerted X that someone hacked my account last night
and deleted my content on our opera announcement and media corrections.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
X will find the hacker and deal with him or her.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
The left continues to try and silence people they don't
agree with, but they will never succeed.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
So that was his statement.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Okay, okay, fine, and then he moved. He goes on, right,
does he find the statement or he just puts out
another one?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Well, he retweets.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
He says he's retweeting his original statement.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Was there a screen grab or anything like that is
there anything that proved in fact that he had put
an original one.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Out, not that I saw.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
The only screen grab he put up was an email
exchange between the Kennedy Center and the the Opera saying
that yes, see it was mutual. See we were telling
them that we wanted to talk see so. But no,
he had no screen grab of his alleged original tweet.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Okay, his actual tweet.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Said, the Trump Kennedy Center has made the decision to
end the exclusive partnership with the Washington Opera so we
can have the flexibility and funds to bring in operas
from around the world and across the US. Having an
exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice
and variety. We approached the opera leadership last year with
(05:27):
this idea and they began to be open to it.
We have spent millions of dollars to support the Washington
Opera's exclusivity, and yet they were still millions of dollars
in the hole.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And getting worse.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
He starts giving numbers talking about how they've lost money,
saying it wasn't financially smart, saying that patrons wanted a refresh,
so they said that the Trump Kennedy Center will continue
to do what it takes to ensure we have saved
and protected America's premier art institution for decades to come.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
So we saved and protected it by putting somebody else's
name in front of the whose memorial it is?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Is what he said, correct. I'm just making yes.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
And he also claims that they have incredible corporate partners
and generous donors who have given us a record breaking
fundraising year That certainly flies in the face of what
a lot of other outlets are reporting in terms of
the financial or the financials of the Kennedy side.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I don't think there's any argument there about the financials,
and there's no argument about ticket sales going down. The
argument is over why it's taking place, and the administration
doesn't want to suggest at all and won't be on
board with anybody who is possibly making a suggestion that
it is Trump himself and his name and what he's
done to the Center that is having an impact here.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Yes, exactly. So then Grinnell didn't stop there. He was
very upset at all the headlines, and this is why
he said that he was upset that his ex account
got hacked and his original statement got taken down because
here are the headlines. The New York Times, Washington National
Opera is lee leaving the Kennedy Center, NPR, Washington National
(07:02):
Opera leaves Kennedy Center, joining a slew of artist exits.
Washington National Opera parts ways with the Kennedy Center, and
it's for the best. Washington National Opera cuts ties with
the Kennedy Center after long standing partnership.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
You get the gist.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Every single media outlet pretty much reported that it was
the Washington National Opera that left the Kennedy Center.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Because that's what they told us, right.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Their statement says it made clear they weren't beating a
drum about it, but they said we had to make
a decision to leave. It's they said it was their decision.
Media outlets reported what the information was, and that's what
we had at the time. I understand, I'm we're supposed
to take him in his word. I don't know how
to prove anything here a robes this is it's a
(07:49):
bizarre story, and it seems like in all those headlines
there was a panic, you could argue on his side
that oh shit, my boss is going to see all
this need to make sure it's understood that we get
ahead of this and we make sure we kick them out,
and that needs to be the new narrative. This thing
(08:10):
about the ex account. This is a public official, or
at least he's running the center, and he's tied to
the You have to if he speaks, I'm supposed to
believe what he says, like I'm compelled to, and I
feel a need to right now to believe this guy.
But this guy is telling me that someone was able
to hack his account, the account of the guy who's
(08:33):
the head of the Kennedy Center that's in the center
of the news, and a guy who is tied to
President Trump. And all they wanted to do was delete
a tweet about the opera. Yeah, and if you want
me to believe.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
That, he wants you to believe that.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
But that is what we're saying. A hacker sophisticated enough
to do this. He just wants to take down your
opera announce it.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
He chose that one, not all the other tweet And
by the way, Grinnell is a very avid and voracious tweeter.
I couldn't believe how much he tweeted this weekend.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
But Robes if I have access. Can't you put out
all kinds?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
You could have tweeted something very harming, harmful, out the
harmful thing you choose to do. I got access to
his account. I'm just oops, here's an opera tweet. I'll
delete this. This will show them.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
You make all very good points.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I don't understand what they're telling me to believe something
that's so far fetched, and I want to believe him
because of his position, and this is where we are.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I shouldn't have I should trust somebody.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
No, It's disturbing on a number of levels. And then
he went after specific journalists. He went after The New
York Times, saying, you never do journalism, Peter, you always
do partisan attacks on Republicans. You don't have enough integrity
to correct your tweet. So here's a snippet from the
opera board chair noting who asked for the separation first.
And that's where he put up this screen grab where
(09:55):
it basically it just basically said, hey, let's talk about
our future. But he went and then he went off
on Twitter just or on X talking about how much
the opera cost the Trump Kennedy Center sixty four million
dollars over the last ten years, basically saying we're so
happy that they were willing to end their exclusivity.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Patrons win greater variety. But he just keeps.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
I mean, he went off on X this weekend in
between firing off about Gavin Newsom.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
As well so getting deeply political and just sounding very
Trump esque in his.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
X account, mirroring Trump's truth social account. I didn't know
this guy beforehand, so just going over his social media
was actually quite enlightening and interesting for someone who is
the chairman of the Kennedy Center.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Does it even matter leaving versus kicked out? Does that
matter to any citizen? Does it only matter as a
matter of folks with egos out here trying to make
sure a narrative is a certain thing.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
And no, you didn't dump me, I dumped you. Is
what this is?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Is it not absolutely what it is because it has
no bearing.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Nobody's fighting to stay, nobody's fighting to keep them. Everybody
agrees this should end. Fine, But now it's important who
gets credit who dumped whom. Okay, it's just we got
I don't know, it's it's we have reached a level
of pettiness, it seems sometimes that is astonishing.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
At these levels.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Wow, well yes.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
And again, like we said, the Opera House, the Opera,
Washington Opera not the only ones to have left.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
There have been.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
There has been actually a growing list of artists who
have refused now to perform at this center. Will tell
you exactly who they are. How long that list is getting?
Stay here and we continue here on Amy and TG.
(11:54):
I guess it's human nature, right. Nobody wants the the
world to think you got dumped. I guess we would all.
Isn't this a part out you never? Isn't this just
human nature? Is this just regular ego stuff?
Speaker 3 (12:05):
I feel like it's high school stuff. Though.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Don't you get to a certain age where it's okay
to say, hey, it didn't work out. I just feel
like there is only a certain kind of person. I
always attribute it to age, but perhaps it is ego,
It is a lot of other things. What does it matter.
The relationship is ending. You both wanted it to end.
You've both said that it was in your best interest
for it to end, So who cares who initiated it?
But clearly this has been a massive rub on the
(12:31):
Kennedy Center, and they are tired of the headlines that
are accurately describing all the artists and all the folks
who have cut ties with the Kennedy Center since February
of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Is that, I know it's kind of all over the place,
but do you have an idea the number? What are
the what's the number out there? I've seen dozens I
have seen. It's been a couple of weeks with somebody
had an accurate account of exactly eleven.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I have like sixteen right now.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Oh yeah, And they're all over the place.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Even the Opera House didn't they say, I mean I
know what the opera is, I say opera House, the
Washington Opera they said, even some of their performers, I mean,
you can't even put together a full opera. They refusing
to come play at that place. So that was an
issue as.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Well, Yes, it absolutely wasn't.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
So, yes, some of the big Kennedy Center cancelations is
Ray she had a sold out show. That's a big
deal because even like the Washington National Opera said, well,
they have claimed there was a forty percent drop in
ticket sales since Trump, they said, installed himself on the
Kennedy Center. They said, people have sent back their brochure
shredded in an envelope saying never, never will I return
(13:36):
while he's in power. But they say normally their performances
had an eighty to ninety percent sell out rate.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
So for Ester Ray to have a sold out show,
big deal. She canceled it.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah, it's a big deal for she's from that area.
She's from that I think Maryland in particular. That was
a big deal for her to come home to play
the Kennedy.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Center, to be in that area, it's a dream.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
And to step up and to turn that down is Look,
I will give them credit.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
If this is on your heart, if.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
This is if this doesn't work for you, then fine,
I can't. I can't go against that. At the same time,
some of the Christmas concerts, in the New Year's concert,
I'm like, eh, that you're denying it for everybody kind
of a thing.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Why do we have to just cancel?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
So it's that was tough.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Oh no, I think a reasonable, reasonable person can see
both sides of an artist choosing to continue to play
there and not wanting.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
To play there.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Yeah. So yeah, you mentioned the Christmas Eve and the
New Year's Eve jash shows. Those were big deals and
got a lot of headlines. I don't know how many.
The Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, he had a big event
planned and that got he canceled that. Cast members from
a performance of Le mis a rob boycotted an event,
the touring production of Hamilton. This was going to be
a big part of the Kennedy Center they canceled. I
(14:51):
don't know how many people know these other names you mentioned.
Some of these are folk artists, and certainly like staples
of the Kennedy Center, people who come back year after year.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
There are also people who need the money.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yes, yes, that's a very good point.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
So for them to cancel it is a huge Some
people even put out statement saying, hey, I had to
decide whether or not food on the table or my
soul were you know what was more important.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
It literally came to that.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
So Christy Lee, Wayne Tucker, the Brentano Quartet, Magpie, Doug
veronaan Dancers, comedy show, Asian af Chuck read we heard
about that, the Cookers, Rhann and Giddon's Balloon Like there's
a bunch of names that aren't necessarily household names but significant.
More than a dozen people artists, groups have canceled their
(15:35):
shows because of this and because of.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
How they feel about President Trump.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Remember he fired the entire board in February, re hired,
including the chairman, an entirely new board in February, and
then December nineteenth put his name on the actual buildings.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Which you say he's chair and the other guy's president.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Those are the president, yes, but do not from this chairman.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yes, and and the very angry ex Grnell he is
the president.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Correct, So yes, there have been a lot of changes.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
But it's important to remember we talked about the guy
who's running the Kennedy Center and everything. No, the guy
who's running the Kennedy Center is Trump, That's true, is
the head of this thing. So I don't know now
what's next, but we talk about how the sales have
the ticket sales, and I know Grnell wants to point
(16:28):
to the opera house, but they have talked about I
don't know if you have the number, but the percentage,
how how significant of a drop just since Trump has
been there?
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Okay, that was it?
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Okay, forty percent drop, so that's a obviously that is
a significant number. And we also did the story the
other week about the official ratings for the Kennedy Center
Honors that Trump hosted for the first time, lowest ratings ever.
So this is all stinging him right where it counts
for President Trump, and you have.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
To explain it for him. Well, if the ratings were down, well,
we were only a couple days from Christmas when it aired,
and we didn't have the advantage of a football game.
They went through everything that happens, ticket sales falling off,
it's because people hate opera, not because people hate Trump.
Ticket sales falling off all is because we're not doing
the right artist here, not because of Trump. Everything is
(17:22):
about something other than him having an impact.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And that is why.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And I thought it was and I'm trying to leave
room for him being one hundred percent right, and what
happened happened on X But it was almost embarrassing to
come up with that excuse on the fly. It's how
we could be seen and could be and it is
being seen by a lot of people and jokes that
they're making. Are you serious right now? This is what
you came up with just to make sure Daddy doesn't
(17:49):
get mad at you.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
That's exactly what it seems like. We can't prove that
that's what happened. But certainly that does seem like the
most likely explanation because his version of events just doesn't
add up, and.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
It might it might be true.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I just want to leave room, but you can understand
why some are seeing this as something else. With that, folks,
we always appreciate you spending some time here with us.
Just want to hop on and give you a quick
Monday morning update that didn't necessarily have to do with
death and destruction and horror and everything else we're seeing
in the world, but this one, I guess hopefully you
smiled a little bit, even though you also shake your head,
(18:26):
which is exactly what Roboc is doing on cue, smiling
and shaking her head all at the same time. But
with that, folks, we appreciate you spending some time with us.
You can look for the morning ron We'll have it
up for you here and just a little bit here
on the feed, But for now, I'm TJ. Holmes on
behalf of Amy Robach. Talk to you, very very so
Hey, there're folks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It is Monday, January twelfth, and a story developing over
the weekend and into this Monday morning, and it has
everything to do with a situation you've certainly been through
in your life. Ever had a breakup and you think
everything was cool, but then you find out the person
you broke up with is going around telling everybody that
they were the one that dumped you, and then you
(00:34):
come back and try to correct the record. Yeah, that
thing is happening between the Kennedy Center and the Washington
National Opera. And with that, welcome to this episode of
Amy and TJ and Rose. The story gets weirder because
you think, why is this a big deal?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Who needs to take credit? Who dumped whom? Who cares well?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Apparently the head of the Kennedy Center cares enough and
has I don't I shouldn't say concocted, but has told
us a wild story having to do even with his
Twitter account being hacked. Yes, folks, that's how we're getting
started on this early Monday with this developing store.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Richard Grennell, who is the director of the Trump Kennedy Center,
has said that.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
We need to make a decision what are we going
to call it?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Well, I we can say the Kennedy Center, but I
said it that way because that's how he refers to
his title.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
To make it what here? Officially? What are we going
to go with?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
To make sure we don't get shut down or sued
or threatened or whatever? We here on Amy and DJ,
we are.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Going with what the Kennedy Center?
Speaker 1 (01:34):
All right?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Then there it is.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
The NPR actually made a whole NPR made a whole.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
A whole paragraph as to why they will continue to
call it the Kennedy Center, and I stand by that.
But yes, on Friday we heard from the Washington National
Opera they announced they were parting ways with the Kennedy Center.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
That's a big deal. This was a forty five year.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Relationship, and so of course there were going to be
lots of headlines. But I think I think it's fair
to start with their statement because it was really non political.
It was actually quite kind, quite lovely of a breakup letter,
so to speak. So it said that it's seeking an
amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy
Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity
(02:19):
to ensure fiscal prudence and fulfill its obligations for a
balanced budget, The Washington National Opera will reduce its spring
season and relocate performances to new venues.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
This is a decision.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Centered on doing what is best for the WNO going
forward after an amicable transition. The board and management of
the company wishes the Center well in its own future endeavors.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
All Right, no big deal there, or shouldn't have been,
the only reason this was a big deal or headlined
is because this is another and arguably the most high profile,
most significant, most relevant artist leaving the Kennedy Center since
Trump took over as head of the Kennedy Center, and
since they put his name on the building on the
(03:04):
outside in front of John F. Kennedy's name, this living
memorial to him, so it's relevant. We see several artists,
some artists and names you never heard of, don't know,
play folk music, whatever, but still they are artists who
are leaving. And there have been some high profile ones
as well. We'll get into those. But the point here,
Ropes is that this is a big deal and it
is significant that this nearly fifty year relationship is ending.
(03:28):
They didn't necessarily say because Trump is head or because
his name is on the front. Things have changed. We
need to leave headlines are made. Okay, let's move on.
This was on Friday, or so we thought, and then
the story exploded in a way over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yes, on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
The director of the Center, Richard Grennell, made it very
clear it was their organization, the Kennedy Center, that decided
to entie with the Washington National Opera, not the other
way around. In fact, he went on to his X
account and said, yes, as you mentioned that it had
been hacked, because he said he put the story out
(04:07):
initially on Friday, but it disappeared. So he wrote, I
have alerted X that someone hacked my account last night
and deleted my content on our opera announcement and media corrections.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
X will find the hacker and deal with him or her.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
The left continues to try and silence people they don't
agree with, but they will never succeed.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
So that was his statement.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Okay, okay, fine, and then he moved. He goes on, right,
does he find the statement or he just puts out
another one?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Well, he retweets.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
He says he's retweeting his original statement.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Was there a screen grab or anything like that is
there anything that proved in fact that he had put
an original one.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Out, not that I saw.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
The only screen grab he put up was an email
exchange between the Kennedy Center and the the Opera saying
that yes, see it was mutual. See we were telling
them that we wanted to talk see so. But no,
he had no screen grab of his alleged original tweet.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Okay, his actual tweet.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Said, the Trump Kennedy Center has made the decision to
end the exclusive partnership with the Washington Opera so we
can have the flexibility and funds to bring in operas
from around the world and across the US. Having an
exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice
and variety. We approached the opera leadership last year with
(05:27):
this idea and they began to be open to it.
We have spent millions of dollars to support the Washington
Opera's exclusivity, and yet they were still millions of dollars
in the hole.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And getting worse.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
He starts giving numbers talking about how they've lost money,
saying it wasn't financially smart, saying that patrons wanted a refresh,
so they said that the Trump Kennedy Center will continue
to do what it takes to ensure we have saved
and protected America's premier art institution for decades to come.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
So we saved and protected it by putting somebody else's
name in front of the whose memorial it is?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Is what he said, correct. I'm just making yes.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
And he also claims that they have incredible corporate partners
and generous donors who have given us a record breaking
fundraising year That certainly flies in the face of what
a lot of other outlets are reporting in terms of
the financial or the financials of the Kennedy side.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I don't think there's any argument there about the financials,
and there's no argument about ticket sales going down. The
argument is over why it's taking place, and the administration
doesn't want to suggest at all and won't be on
board with anybody who is possibly making a suggestion that
it is Trump himself and his name and what he's
done to the Center that is having an impact here.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Yes, exactly. So then Grinnell didn't stop there. He was
very upset at all the headlines, and this is why
he said that he was upset that his ex account
got hacked and his original statement got taken down because
here are the headlines. The New York Times, Washington National
Opera is lee leaving the Kennedy Center, NPR, Washington National
(07:02):
Opera leaves Kennedy Center, joining a slew of artist exits.
Washington National Opera parts ways with the Kennedy Center, and
it's for the best. Washington National Opera cuts ties with
the Kennedy Center after long standing partnership.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
You get the gist.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Every single media outlet pretty much reported that it was
the Washington National Opera that left the Kennedy Center.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Because that's what they told us, right.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Their statement says it made clear they weren't beating a
drum about it, but they said we had to make
a decision to leave. It's they said it was their decision.
Media outlets reported what the information was, and that's what
we had at the time. I understand, I'm we're supposed
to take him in his word. I don't know how
to prove anything here a robes this is it's a
(07:49):
bizarre story, and it seems like in all those headlines
there was a panic, you could argue on his side
that oh shit, my boss is going to see all
this need to make sure it's understood that we get
ahead of this and we make sure we kick them out,
and that needs to be the new narrative. This thing
(08:10):
about the ex account. This is a public official, or
at least he's running the center, and he's tied to
the You have to if he speaks, I'm supposed to
believe what he says, like I'm compelled to, and I
feel a need to right now to believe this guy.
But this guy is telling me that someone was able
to hack his account, the account of the guy who's
(08:33):
the head of the Kennedy Center that's in the center
of the news, and a guy who is tied to
President Trump. And all they wanted to do was delete
a tweet about the opera. Yeah, and if you want
me to believe.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
That, he wants you to believe that.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
But that is what we're saying. A hacker sophisticated enough
to do this. He just wants to take down your
opera announce it.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
He chose that one, not all the other tweet And
by the way, Grinnell is a very avid and voracious tweeter.
I couldn't believe how much he tweeted this weekend.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
But Robes if I have access. Can't you put out
all kinds?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
You could have tweeted something very harming, harmful, out the
harmful thing you choose to do. I got access to
his account. I'm just oops, here's an opera tweet. I'll
delete this. This will show them.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
You make all very good points.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I don't understand what they're telling me to believe something
that's so far fetched, and I want to believe him
because of his position, and this is where we are.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I shouldn't have I should trust somebody.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
No, It's disturbing on a number of levels. And then
he went after specific journalists. He went after The New
York Times, saying, you never do journalism, Peter, you always
do partisan attacks on Republicans. You don't have enough integrity
to correct your tweet. So here's a snippet from the
opera board chair noting who asked for the separation first.
And that's where he put up this screen grab where
(09:55):
it basically it just basically said, hey, let's talk about
our future. But he went and then he went off
on Twitter just or on X talking about how much
the opera cost the Trump Kennedy Center sixty four million
dollars over the last ten years, basically saying we're so
happy that they were willing to end their exclusivity.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Patrons win greater variety. But he just keeps.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
I mean, he went off on X this weekend in
between firing off about Gavin Newsom.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
As well so getting deeply political and just sounding very
Trump esque in his.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
X account, mirroring Trump's truth social account. I didn't know
this guy beforehand, so just going over his social media
was actually quite enlightening and interesting for someone who is
the chairman of the Kennedy Center.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Does it even matter leaving versus kicked out? Does that
matter to any citizen? Does it only matter as a
matter of folks with egos out here trying to make
sure a narrative is a certain thing.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
And no, you didn't dump me, I dumped you. Is
what this is?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Is it not absolutely what it is because it has
no bearing.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Nobody's fighting to stay, nobody's fighting to keep them. Everybody
agrees this should end. Fine, But now it's important who
gets credit who dumped whom. Okay, it's just we got
I don't know, it's it's we have reached a level
of pettiness, it seems sometimes that is astonishing.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
At these levels.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Wow, well yes.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
And again, like we said, the Opera House, the Opera,
Washington Opera not the only ones to have left.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
There have been.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
There has been actually a growing list of artists who
have refused now to perform at this center. Will tell
you exactly who they are. How long that list is getting?
Stay here and we continue here on Amy and TG.
(11:54):
I guess it's human nature, right. Nobody wants the the
world to think you got dumped. I guess we would all.
Isn't this a part out you never? Isn't this just
human nature? Is this just regular ego stuff?
Speaker 3 (12:05):
I feel like it's high school stuff. Though.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Don't you get to a certain age where it's okay
to say, hey, it didn't work out. I just feel
like there is only a certain kind of person. I
always attribute it to age, but perhaps it is ego,
It is a lot of other things. What does it matter.
The relationship is ending. You both wanted it to end.
You've both said that it was in your best interest
for it to end, So who cares who initiated it?
But clearly this has been a massive rub on the
(12:31):
Kennedy Center, and they are tired of the headlines that
are accurately describing all the artists and all the folks
who have cut ties with the Kennedy Center since February
of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Is that, I know it's kind of all over the place,
but do you have an idea the number? What are
the what's the number out there? I've seen dozens I
have seen. It's been a couple of weeks with somebody
had an accurate account of exactly eleven.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I have like sixteen right now.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Oh yeah, And they're all over the place.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Even the Opera House didn't they say, I mean I
know what the opera is, I say opera House, the
Washington Opera they said, even some of their performers, I mean,
you can't even put together a full opera. They refusing
to come play at that place. So that was an
issue as.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Well, Yes, it absolutely wasn't.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
So, yes, some of the big Kennedy Center cancelations is
Ray she had a sold out show. That's a big
deal because even like the Washington National Opera said, well,
they have claimed there was a forty percent drop in
ticket sales since Trump, they said, installed himself on the
Kennedy Center. They said, people have sent back their brochure
shredded in an envelope saying never, never will I return
(13:36):
while he's in power. But they say normally their performances
had an eighty to ninety percent sell out rate.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
So for Ester Ray to have a sold out show,
big deal. She canceled it.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah, it's a big deal for she's from that area.
She's from that I think Maryland in particular. That was
a big deal for her to come home to play
the Kennedy.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Center, to be in that area, it's a dream.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
And to step up and to turn that down is Look,
I will give them credit.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
If this is on your heart, if.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
This is if this doesn't work for you, then fine,
I can't. I can't go against that. At the same time,
some of the Christmas concerts, in the New Year's concert,
I'm like, eh, that you're denying it for everybody kind
of a thing.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Why do we have to just cancel?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
So it's that was tough.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Oh no, I think a reasonable, reasonable person can see
both sides of an artist choosing to continue to play
there and not wanting.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
To play there.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Yeah. So yeah, you mentioned the Christmas Eve and the
New Year's Eve jash shows. Those were big deals and
got a lot of headlines. I don't know how many.
The Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, he had a big event
planned and that got he canceled that. Cast members from
a performance of Le mis a rob boycotted an event,
the touring production of Hamilton. This was going to be
a big part of the Kennedy Center they canceled. I
(14:51):
don't know how many people know these other names you mentioned.
Some of these are folk artists, and certainly like staples
of the Kennedy Center, people who come back year after year.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
There are also people who need the money.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yes, yes, that's a very good point.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
So for them to cancel it is a huge Some
people even put out statement saying, hey, I had to
decide whether or not food on the table or my
soul were you know what was more important.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
It literally came to that.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
So Christy Lee, Wayne Tucker, the Brentano Quartet, Magpie, Doug
veronaan Dancers, comedy show, Asian af Chuck read we heard
about that, the Cookers, Rhann and Giddon's Balloon Like there's
a bunch of names that aren't necessarily household names but significant.
More than a dozen people artists, groups have canceled their
(15:35):
shows because of this and because of.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
How they feel about President Trump.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Remember he fired the entire board in February, re hired,
including the chairman, an entirely new board in February, and
then December nineteenth put his name on the actual buildings.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Which you say he's chair and the other guy's president.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Those are the president, yes, but do not from this chairman.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yes, and and the very angry ex Grnell he is
the president.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Correct, So yes, there have been a lot of changes.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
But it's important to remember we talked about the guy
who's running the Kennedy Center and everything. No, the guy
who's running the Kennedy Center is Trump, That's true, is
the head of this thing. So I don't know now
what's next, but we talk about how the sales have
the ticket sales, and I know Grnell wants to point
(16:28):
to the opera house, but they have talked about I
don't know if you have the number, but the percentage,
how how significant of a drop just since Trump has
been there?
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Okay, that was it?
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Okay, forty percent drop, so that's a obviously that is
a significant number. And we also did the story the
other week about the official ratings for the Kennedy Center
Honors that Trump hosted for the first time, lowest ratings ever.
So this is all stinging him right where it counts
for President Trump, and you have.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
To explain it for him. Well, if the ratings were down, well,
we were only a couple days from Christmas when it aired,
and we didn't have the advantage of a football game.
They went through everything that happens, ticket sales falling off,
it's because people hate opera, not because people hate Trump.
Ticket sales falling off all is because we're not doing
the right artist here, not because of Trump. Everything is
(17:22):
about something other than him having an impact.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
And that is why.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And I thought it was and I'm trying to leave
room for him being one hundred percent right, and what
happened happened on X But it was almost embarrassing to
come up with that excuse on the fly. It's how
we could be seen and could be and it is
being seen by a lot of people and jokes that
they're making. Are you serious right now? This is what
you came up with just to make sure Daddy doesn't
(17:49):
get mad at you.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
That's exactly what it seems like. We can't prove that
that's what happened. But certainly that does seem like the
most likely explanation because his version of events just doesn't
add up, and.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
It might it might be true.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I just want to leave room, but you can understand
why some are seeing this as something else. With that, folks,
we always appreciate you spending some time here with us.
Just want to hop on and give you a quick
Monday morning update that didn't necessarily have to do with
death and destruction and horror and everything else we're seeing
in the world, but this one, I guess hopefully you
smiled a little bit, even though you also shake your head,
(18:26):
which is exactly what Roboc is doing on cue, smiling
and shaking her head all at the same time. But
with that, folks, we appreciate you spending some time with us.
You can look for the morning ron We'll have it
up for you here and just a little bit here
on the feed, But for now, I'm TJ. Holmes on
behalf of Amy Robach. Talk to you, very very so
Hosts And Creators
Amy Robach
T.J. Holmes
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