Layoffs hit Kennedy Center again amid Trump's MAGA overhaul

Layoffs continued Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the nation’s premier arts institution prepares for a two-year shutdown tied to President Donald Trump’s MAGA-fied overhaul – which included a rebrand as the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”

Multiple people familiar with the cuts told the Washington Post that the programming department has been hit especially hard, with staff either terminated or reassigned as the center pivots away from traditional productions.

“Everything is a rental now,” one person with knowledge of the situation told the outlet. “If it’s not making money, we don’t do it.”

Among those laid off were top leaders, including Ryan Hamilton, senior director of broadcast, comedy and special programming, and Sam Miller, senior director of music programming, the Post reported Friday. Both were brought in under former board president Richard Grenell, a Trump ally who previously led efforts to reshape the institution in the MAGA leader’s name before his firing.

The latest cuts follow an earlier round of layoffs that hit the storied arts institution just weeks ago, as leadership prepares for a July 7 closure that will last two years for renovations.

Officials have not disclosed how many employees have been affected, but the Post noted that this round of layoffs is one of several since Trump’s takeover in February 2025. “More than 100 employees have resigned or been laid off since then, including the heads of nearly every department and discipline,” the outlet reported.

In a statement, a Kennedy Center spokesperson said staffing changes are meant to “support the broader move toward a successful closure for renovations.”

And more cuts could still be on the way. In an email last month, Matt Floca, the center’s new president, warned employees of “difficult staffing decisions that support the broader operational changes.”

“Each of you has contributed to the legacy of this institution, and these decisions have not been made lightly,” Floca wrote in the March email. “It is my sincere intention that each personnel action be carried out with consideration and care.”