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Trump promises Grenell a new position, but it is still unknown what role he will take and when this appointment will take place...
The Kennedy Center's board of trustees voted unanimously on Monday to approve a plan to temporarily close the institution for two years to allow for a major $257 million renovation project backed by US President Donald Trump.
In an official statement, the cultural center announced that the project will include a “complete revitalization” of the complex, which will begin after the Independence Day celebrations in July. The institution is expected to reopen with a grand ceremony once the work is complete.
According to the board, the temporary suspension of artistic activities will enable a faster and more efficient renovation process, with the aim of turning the Kennedy Center into a modernized cultural and entertainment complex for the American public.
During the meeting, Trump said that the temporary closure is the best way to get the project done.
" The best way is to close it, do it right, and then reopen it with a grand inauguration. When it's finished, it will be much better than when it was first built ," the US president declared.
At the same meeting, Trump also praised the work of Richard Grenell, who has overseen the institution over the past year.
The president also reacted to media reports that Grenell had been removed from the role.
" They said he was fired. He was not fired ," Trump said, emphasizing that Grenell's appointment was a temporary assignment to help stabilize the institution during the transition period.
" Thank you Rick Grenell, you did a great job and I appreciate it very much. I'm looking into your next assignment because there was a story that he was fired. He wasn't fired. He was here for a short time, for a year. I want to thank him because he's a friend of mine for a long time and he's been extraordinary. He was the ambassador to Germany, there was no happier woman in the world than Angela Merkel. He called me and said, 'Thank you, sir! '"
"Although I liked Grenell very much, there was no one happier than the one where he left his post as ambassador. He was difficult for them. He was not your typical ambassador, it was the opposite. He did what was best for the United States, not for Germany. And I mean he did a great job, such a great job that I put him in charge of American intelligence. He didn't want to, but he did it and he did it very well ," the American president said.
Grenell is known for his closeness to Kosovo and Albania and his friendship with Edi Rama.
The Kennedy Center renovation project is part of a series of construction and aesthetic initiatives proposed by Trump in Washington. They include a plan to build a 100,000-square-foot grand ballroom at the White House, as well as proposals for architectural changes to the spaces surrounding the presidential complex and national monuments.
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