Kennedy Center vice president steps down 12 days after appointment
Kevin Couch stepped down as senior vice president of artistic programming at the Trump Kennedy Center just 12 days after being appointed. (KCMedia/Trump Kennedy Center)
Kevin Couch stepped down as senior vice president of artistic programming at the Trump Kennedy Center just 12 days after being appointed. (KCMedia/Trump Kennedy Center)
Kennedy Center vice president Kevin Couch has stepped down just 12 days after being appointed to the role.
During his short stint, Couch served as vice president of artistic programming at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, known as the Kennedy Center – the national cultural centre of the US.
In December, Kennedy Center’s board “unanimously” voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center following Trump replacing the chairman with himself and removing existing board members.
Couch’s appointment followed his predecessor, Jeffrey Finn, resigning in September after nearly a decade. Finn gave no reason for his departure.
The entertainment leader stepped down on Wednesday (28 January), but gave no reason why, as per The Washington Post.
His departure comes less than two weeks after the centre announced his success in securing the role.
In a statement announcing his appointment, Couch said at the time: “I am honored to join the Trump Kennedy Center at such a pivotal moment for the performing arts.
“I look forward to the extraordinary creative possibilities ahead — championing our artists and partners to deliver meaningful experiences at America’s cultural center.”
The change to the centre’s name prompted artists protest by refusing to perform, with Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz cancelling his appearance, joining the Hamilton musical production, actor Issa Rae, veteran jazz band The Cookers and musician Chuck Redd, who has hosted a Christmas performance since 2006.
The Kennedy Center has been embroiled in growing controversy. Trump hosted the Kennedy Center Honors 2025 where he claimed he “turned down plenty” of “too woke” nominees.
Also, ticket sales at the Kennedy Center have plummeted. According to a report from The Washington Post, sales for orchestra, theatre and dance performances are the worst they’ve been since the pandemic.
The report outlines that over 43 per cent of seats went unsold between September 3 and October 19, compared to only 7 per cent during the same period in 2024.
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