Trump Ally Hacked?
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said Saturday that his account on X was hacked, resulting in the removal of several posts related to recent changes involving the Washington National Opera.
Grenell told followers that the unauthorized access occurred overnight and led to the deletion of statements he had shared about an opera announcement and subsequent media corrections.
Grenell said he notified X after discovering unauthorized access to his account, which resulted in the removal of posts related to the opera announcement and follow-up clarifications. He noted that the platform is examining the issue and that the deleted content will be reposted once it is restored.
Dispute Comes Amid Major Changes at the Kennedy Center
The incident comes as Grenell has taken a prominent role defending leadership and programming changes at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following administrative shifts during President Donald Trump’s second term.
In recent weeks, Grenell has publicly highlighted adjustments to the Center’s annual performance schedule and pushed back against criticism from media outlets and cultural commentators.
Washington National Opera Moves Toward Independence
On Friday, the Washington National Opera confirmed in a statement to The New York Times that it plans to pursue an early and amicable end to its affiliation with the Kennedy Center.
The opera company said it intends to continue operations as a fully independent nonprofit organization after more than 50 years at the venue.
The decision follows the cancellation of several scheduled performances, including appearances by Béla Fleck, the Brentano Quartet with Hsin-Yun Huang, the Broadway production “Hamilton,” and events involving Chuck Redd and Issa Rae.
Grenell Pushes Back on Critics
After discovering the deletions on his X account, Grenell suggested that political opponents were attempting to interfere with communication surrounding the Center’s programming decisions.
“The Left continues to try to silence people they don’t agree with — but they will never succeed,” Grenell wrote in a message to supporters.
X has not publicly commented on the alleged hacking incident.
