The struggling Kennedy Center’s new programming head has resigned after less than a week on the job.
Kevin Couch was announced as the Trump-hijacked institution’s Senior Vice President of Artistic Programming on Jan. 16.
But on Wednesday, Couch confirmed to The Washington Post that he had resigned from the position. He declined to comment further.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Kennedy Center and Couch for comment. Couch’s name is not listed on the center’s webpage.
The storied cultural institution, which has struggled to sell tickets since Trump remade it in his image in February, had announced Couch’s hiring in a Jan. 16 news release and posted the announcement on X on Jan. 22.
“We are proud to welcome Kevin Couch to the Trump Kennedy Center as we expand our commonsense programming,” the center’s Trump-loving president, Richard Grenell, said in the release. “Kevin brings a clear-eyed approach to curating a roster of compelling shows that invite and inspire all audiences.”
Couch previously served as director of programming for ATG Entertainment, managing venues in San Antonio, Tulsa, Little Rock, and Springfield, Missouri. His bookings included Sabrina Carpenter, Carlos Santana, Diana Ross, and a Joe Rogan Netflix special, according to the release.
“I am honored to join the Trump Kennedy Center at such a pivotal moment for the performing arts,” Couch said in the release. “I look forward to the extraordinary creative possibilities ahead – championing our artists and partners to deliver meaningful experiences at America’s cultural center.”
Couch’s predecessor, Jeffrey Finn, stepped down in September after almost a decade heading the center’s program of touring Broadway shows and locally produced musicals.
Under Trump, the Kennedy Center has struggled not only to fill seats but also to attract top performers.
Scores of renowned artists have pulled out of scheduled performances in protest of the institution’s MAGA-fication—particularly after the president renamed it after himself without congressional approval. This month alone, the center was hit with a slew of cancellations.
Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming backed out last week due to what the center described as a “scheduling conflict.” The Martha Graham Dance Company, the oldest such group in the U.S., also canceled its April show without providing an explanation. The Washington National Opera similarly ended its five-decade residency at the center earlier this month.
On Monday, Trump washed his hands of the “massive deficit” plaguing the center by claiming he was saving it.
“People don’t realize that The Trump Kennedy Center suffered massive deficits for many years and, like everything else, I merely came in to save it and, if possible, make it far better than ever before!” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
With difficulty booking talent, the center has leaned on programming tied to the president and his family. In December, it hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, and Trump became the first president to host the Kennedy Center Awards.
The center is set to host the premiere of Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania, on Thursday evening.
