Richard “Ric” Grenell, the newly-appointed President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has called out actor Harvey Fierstein for claiming he has been banned from the government-owned cultural hub. The special envoy, who served as Ambassador to Germany during President Donald J. Trump’s first term, said Fierstein’s post was a “total lie” and personally invited him to attend an event with him.
President Trump personally took charge of the Kennedy Center as chairman shortly after his inauguration and removed Joe Biden appointees who had made it too “wokey”—a move Fierstein, who has appeared in films including Hairspray and Mrs. Doubtfire, took exception to. “Trump may have declared woke as dead in America. We must prove him wrong. WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!” he wrote in a tirade posted to social media.
Richard “Ric” Grenell, the newly-appointed President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has called out actor Harvey Fierstein for claiming he has been banned from the government-owned cultural hub. The special envoy, who served as Ambassador to Germany during President Donald J. Trump’s first term, said Fierstein’s post was a “total lie” and personally invited him to attend an event with him.
President Trump personally took charge of the Kennedy Center as chairman shortly after his inauguration and removed Joe Biden appointees who had made it too “wokey”—a move Fierstein, who has appeared in films including Hairspray and Mrs. Doubtfire, took exception to. “Trump may have declared woke as dead in America. We must prove him wrong. WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!” he wrote in a tirade posted to social media.
“Hey, [Harvey Fierstein],” Grenell wrote in response. “This is a total lie. Whoever told you this (because you obviously didn’t do your own research) should be fired from your team for purposefully making you look foolish.”
In response to Fierstein’s allegations that President Trump was seeking to “snatch away” the civil rights of gay people, Grenell added, “I, too, have been in the fight for equality for decades. I’m the President of the Kennedy Center and first openly gay U.S. Cabinet official. I was appointed by [Donald Trump] to both jobs.”
He confirmed: “You aren’t banned. In fact, come do Hairspray or La Cage here at the Kennedy Center. This is your personal invite. Let’s meet. If, however, you can handle diverse opinions and want to be inclusive of everyone, that is.”
Grenell previously criticized leftists who heckled Vice President J.D. Vance and his family when they attended a concert at the Kennedy Center, saying, “It troubles me to see that so many in the audience appear to be white and intolerant of diverse political views. Diversity is our strength.”
“Hey, [Harvey Fierstein],” Grenell wrote in response. “This is a total lie. Whoever told you this (because you obviously didn’t do your own research) should be fired from your team for purposefully making you look foolish.”
In response to Fierstein’s allegations that President Trump was seeking to “snatch away” the civil rights of gay people, Grenell added, “I, too, have been in the fight for equality for decades. I’m the President of the Kennedy Center and first openly gay U.S. Cabinet official. I was appointed by [Donald Trump] to both jobs.”
He confirmed: “You aren’t banned. In fact, come do Hairspray or La Cage here at the Kennedy Center. This is your personal invite. Let’s meet. If, however, you can handle diverse opinions and want to be inclusive of everyone, that is.”
Grenell previously criticized leftists who heckled Vice President J.D. Vance and his family when they attended a concert at the Kennedy Center, saying, “It troubles me to see that so many in the audience appear to be white and intolerant of diverse political views. Diversity is our strength.”
https://thenationalpulse.com/2025/03/18/grenell-calls-out-harvey-fierstein-for-total-lie-about-supposed-kennedy-center-ban/
