The president also purged 18 board members appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who were scrubbed from an official roster on the center’s website, along with the chairman, David M. Rubenstein.

President Donald Trump named foreign policy adviser and loyalist Richard Grenell interim executive director of the Kennedy Center on Monday, days after appointing himself chair, solidifying his control over the iconic American cultural institution.

Grenell has long been one of Trump’s most vocal defenders. After passing him over for secretary of state in favor of Marco Rubio, Trump instead created the role of “special envoy for special missions” for Grenell.