Trump-Led Kennedy Center Announces Honorees
Each year, the Kennedy Center Honors individuals “whose work has shaped our cultural landscape,” with emphasis on how their life has furthered “the power of the arts.”
On the night before the announcement, the Kennedy Center posted clues on X, formerly Twitter, as to who was going to be honored in 2025, saying, “A country music icon, an Englishman, a New York City Rock band, a dance Queen and a multi-billion dollar Actor walk into the Kennedy Center Opera House.”
The reveal was made on Wednesday, August 13, by President Donald Trump, who is chair of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.
The 48th class of Kennedy Center Honorees includes:
- Country artist George Strait
- Stage actor Michael Crawford
- Film actor Sylvester Stallone
- Disco singer Gloria Gaynor
- Rock band KISS
Trump’s Remarks On George Strait
Trump began his remarks by noting that the 48th Kennedy Center Honors would go “rapidly, relatively inexpensively, and will make it better than it ever was.”
He then stated he has been “asked to host” the event, which will be televised on CBS on December 22, adding, “So I have agreed to host. Can you believe what I have to do?”
Presidents typically attend the Kennedy Center Honors, but Trump never attended the ceremony during his first term as president.
Moving to the honorees, Trump announced George Strait’s selection, stating, “Over an extraordinary four-decade career, George has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, amassed 60 No. 1 hits — wow — and produced 33 platinum-certified albums, more than any other living American.”
He added, “This is amazing.”
Continuing, Trump said, “He is believed by millions of people to be just as good as you can get. He is beloved by hundreds of millions of people all over the world … they call him the ‘King of Country.’”
Watch his full remarks, here:
Trump Serving As Chair Of The Kennedy Center
Back on February 12, Trump was unanimously elected chair of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees after he dismissed Biden’s appointees and had several officials terminated.
Among those he appointed to the board are U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Second Lady Usha Vance, as well as Lee Greenwood and Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of the Kennedy Center’s namesake, serves as an ex officio member, as designated by Congress.
Additionally, First Lady Melania Trump is an honorary chair of the board, as is customary for First Ladies.
During a March 17 meeting with the board, Trump outlined how he sees the Kennedy Center as part of a larger restoration of Washington, D.C., saying, “It’s a very big part of the fabric of Washington, D.C., and we’re going to make our capital great again, just like we’re going to make our country great again.”
On that same day, he told CBS Sunday Morning, as broadcast on March 30, that changes to the Kennedy Center will not just be in programming, but in the facility itself.
“We’ll make a lot of changes, including the seats, the decor, pretty much everything,” Trump said. “It needs a lot of work.”
However, it is questions of programming and artistic freedom at the arts center that continue to concern critics of the president.
Looking ahead to the 48th Kennedy Center Honors, Trump told the board in audio acquired by CBS that the next honorees should be “slightly more conservative.”
