BUM NOTE

Musician Who Quit Kennedy Center Trashes Trump Pick’s Relentless ‘Hissy Fits’

He also criticized Trump for bringing a “circus” to the arts center.

Singer-songwriter Ben Folds, who quit his role at the Kennedy Center after Trump’s takeover, slammed new MAGA director Richard Grenell for “throwing little hissy fits” and airing political “grievances” instead of focusing on delivering great music. In an interview with The Washington Post, Folds, who served as the artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, also shared his astonishment at the booings of J.D. Vance and President Trump at the D.C. performing arts center. “I was there for eight years, in the building all the time,” Folds said. “I never saw any … people booing. … That never happened before. He brought the circus with him.” Referring to Grenell, the MAGA loyalist whom Trump picked to lead the Kennedy Center, Folds added: “[T]he head of the Kennedy Center can’t talk for three minutes without having grievances against a political party. His job is to bring excellence in music to everybody. Not to just say you do it but to actually do it. And that starts with not throwing little hissy fits. He’s a grown man.” The Kennedy Center has been approached for comment.