In a striking revelation, the appointee overseeing the Kennedy Center under President Trump has disclosed the discovery of $26 million in what he terms “phantom revenue.” This dubious financial finding was shared during an intimate dinner with board members in the State Dining Room of the White House.
Ric Grenell, the new head of the Kennedy Center, asserted that a meticulous review of the budgets from the past two years had unveiled what he characterized as “fake revenue.” He wasted no time in labeling the situation as “criminal,” declaring intentions to escalate the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
SHOCKING! Ric Grenell just revealed the new CFO of The Kennedy Center went through the 2024 & 2025 budgets and found $26 MILLION in PHANTOM REVENUE. FAKE REVENUE! This is now being referred to the U.S. Attorneys Office. @RichardGrenell pic.twitter.com/fW4wjJnPwE
— George Balfour-Kinnear (@balfourUK) May 20, 2025
In response to these allegations, former board chairman David M. Rubenstein firmly denied any misconduct. His spokesperson emphasized that the financial statements had undergone rigorous scrutiny and received approval from both the Kennedy Center’s audit committee and a reputable accounting firm, as reported by The New York Times.
Amidst this financial controversy, Trump has taken the opportunity to critique the Kennedy Center’s previous leadership for allegedly engaging in political propaganda. He stated, “Instead of putting forth programming that tears our country down and apart, the Kennedy Center should embody the nation’s premier venue for celebrating American arts, theater, music, and culture.”
Trump elaborated:
“We’re going to do some good things, but the basics are there. The location is phenomenal. The importance of the building is phenomenal. And we’ll have some very interesting plans.”
“I always thought they should have built a beautiful performing center, open air, facing out over the Potomac. They didn’t do that. Instead, they constructed these peculiar rooms underneath; they created three tiny, costly stages. Maybe someday someone will actually use one.”
“We’re going to turn it around. That’s what I love doing. I love turning things around. A turnaround artist. We’re doing that with the country.”
“They should have built a beautiful performing center, open air, facing out over Potomac. They didn’t do that. They built these crazy rooms underneath…Tiny little stages, very expensive… I thought it was modern art, blocking everybody’s view.”
– Trump to Kennedy Center board pic.twitter.com/UCb2UMmlj2
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) May 19, 2025
In more mundane news, the Kennedy Center recently confirmed that productions of Chicago, Monty Python’s Spamalo, and Moulin Rouge! are all set to have scheduled runs at the venue.
