President Donald Trump Wednesday announced his first slate of Kennedy Center Honors nominees. Rock band KISS, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, country singer George Strait, and English actor Michael Crawford will receive the Kennedy Center Honors at a ceremony in Washington, DC, on December 8.
Trump visited the Kennedy Center today where he announced this year's Kennedy Center honorees after working to overhaul the D.C. cultural institution in recent months. "This is a very exciting project," Trump said. "We're going to do something that will go rapidly, relatively inexpensively, and we'll make it better than it ever was." Trump also said he would host the gala.
Trump during his first term avoided the ceremony after several artists vowed not to attend in protest. However, now as chairman, he has replaced the center's board of trustees with loyalists, according to NewsWeek.
On Truth Social Tuesday, Trump teased a possible name change for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, jokingly referring to it as the "Trump/Kennedy Center." He promised to restore the venue to "the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment," noting that renovations were underway. "It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!" he wrote.
Months after Trump ousted several members of the Kennedy Center’s bipartisan board and appointed himself as chair—declaring the performing arts institution had grown too “woke”—this year’s honors recipients were announced. His unprecedented move prompted a wave of resignations from entertainers affiliated with the center, while others scrapped their scheduled performances.
Trump visited the Kennedy Center today where he announced this year's Kennedy Center honorees after working to overhaul the D.C. cultural institution in recent months. "This is a very exciting project," Trump said. "We're going to do something that will go rapidly, relatively inexpensively, and we'll make it better than it ever was." Trump also said he would host the gala.
Trump during his first term avoided the ceremony after several artists vowed not to attend in protest. However, now as chairman, he has replaced the center's board of trustees with loyalists, according to NewsWeek.
On Truth Social Tuesday, Trump teased a possible name change for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, jokingly referring to it as the "Trump/Kennedy Center." He promised to restore the venue to "the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment," noting that renovations were underway. "It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!" he wrote.
Months after Trump ousted several members of the Kennedy Center’s bipartisan board and appointed himself as chair—declaring the performing arts institution had grown too “woke”—this year’s honors recipients were announced. His unprecedented move prompted a wave of resignations from entertainers affiliated with the center, while others scrapped their scheduled performances.
