Trump played a significant role in deciding the Kennedy Center Honorees and reportedly rejected individuals deemed too liberal or progressive.
President Trump took an unusually active role in the selection process for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, deviating from the traditional approach by announcing the honorees himself at a highly publicised press conference [1][3].
Traditionally, the Kennedy Center board and staff manage the selection process independently, with the honorees announced without political spectacle. However, under Trump's administration, the Kennedy Center's leadership underwent an overhaul in February [2], and Trump admitted to having "98% involvement" in the selection process, bypassing the usual more collective and apolitical process [1][2].
The president's involvement sparked controversy as he openly politicized the selection, stating that he excluded candidates he considered "too woke," signalling an active ideological filter not common in past processes [1][4]. He also suggested future self-honoring, which broke with the honor's tradition of recognizing others’ artistic and cultural contributions [1][4]. The move to rename the venue the Trump/Kennedy Center further intensified perceptions of politicization [1].
The honorees for 2025 include country singer George Strait, Broadway actor Michael Crawford, actor Sylvester Stallone, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, and rock band Kiss. While some picks align with Trump supporters, such as Sylvester Stallone, others, like Kiss, whose members had previously criticized Trump, were chosen, suggesting a complex mixture rather than strict political loyalty [2].
The Kennedy Center Honors are lifetime achievement awards, with "artistic excellence" as the main criterion. In a departure from tradition, President Trump also announced that he would host the honors ceremony—something he had not done during his first term [1][3].
Since taking office in his second term, the Trump White House has waged an assault on cultural institutions that receive federal funding. The administration's Department of Government Efficiency drastically cut funding to grants to cultural organizations across the country [5]. Additionally, the Librarian of Congress was fired by the Trump administration [6].
In a surprising turn of events, Republican lawmakers have proposed bills to rename the Kennedy Center after Trump and Melania Trump [7]. The event will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ at a later date [8].
Past honorees include Stephen Sondheim, Yo-Yo Ma, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Johnny Cash, Meryl Streep, Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J, Francis Ford Coppola, and the Grateful Dead [9]. Trump mentioned his friendship with Sylvester Stallone and his admiration for Michael Crawford's performance in Phantom of the Opera [10].
The Kennedy Center Honors celebration for 2025 is scheduled for December 7 [11]. Under Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" signed into law in July, the Kennedy Center will receive $257 million, six times its usual annual funding from Congress [12]. This significant funding boost has raised questions about the potential influence on the Kennedy Center's programming and selection process.
References: 1. [Link to Reference 1] 2. [Link to Reference 2] 3. [Link to Reference 3] 4. [Link to Reference 4] 5. [Link to Reference 5] 6. [Link to Reference 6] 7. [Link to Reference 7] 8. [Link to Reference 8] 9. [Link to Reference 9] 10. [Link to Reference 10] 11. [Link to Reference 11] 12. [Link to Reference 12]
- The Kennedy Center's traditional apolitical selection process for the honorees of the Kennedy Center Honors was bypassed under Trump's administration, with the President admitting to having "98% involvement."
- The 2025 honorees for the Kennedy Center Honors include Sylvester Stallone, who aligns with Trump's supporters, and Kiss, whose members had previously criticized Trump, suggesting a complex mixture instead of strict political loyalty.
- In a departure from tradition, President Trump announced that he would host the honors ceremony, a role he had not taken during his first term.
- The Trump White House's involvement in cultural institutions, such as the Kennedy Center, has raised questions about potential influence on programming and selection processes, especially with the significant funding boost provided by the "Big Beautiful Bill" signed into law in July.
