What used to be the classiest gala in America, eclipsing even the Met Gala in New York every year, has now become a shitshow. Donald Trump has taken “complete control” of the Kennedy Center Honors show, we are informed by the New York Times. He’s made no bones about the fact that he is the deciding voice in who gets an honor and who is passed over for “wokeness” as he put it. And he’s even contemplating giving himself a Kennedy Center award. Why not? He’s in charge, he can just grab one and hand it to himself, right?
Trump: Since 1978 the Kennedy Center honors have been amongst the most prestigious awards. I wanted one, never able to get one. I waited and waited. I said to hell with it, I'll become chairman. I will give myself an honor. Next year we'll honor trump, ok?pic.twitter.com/IWfIdlMy2c
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 13, 2025
It’s a joke in poor taste, if in fact it is a joke. My guess would be wait until this time next year and watch Trump announce that he will honor himself. I would not bat an eyelash if that happened, because it would be part of the tasteless and tacky display that this man has made ever since he entered our political sphere.
President Trump affirmed his growing influence over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Wednesday morning by announcing the new class of Kennedy Center honorees and revealing that he would host this year’s ceremony personally.
Mr. Trump has taken a strong interest in the Kennedy Center’s affairs ever since naming himself chairman in February, when he purged its traditionally bipartisan board of Biden-era appointees and restocked it with loyalists. His news conference made clear that he is in complete control of the Kennedy Center Honors: He suggested he had approved the final list of honorees himself, saying he rejected several prospective names he called “wokesters.”
Instead, his list included the country music legend George Strait, the disco queen Gloria Gaynor, and the glam rock band Kiss as musical honorees. Joining them were Michael Crawford, a British actor decorated for his stage performances in musicals like “Phantom of the Opera,” and Sylvester Stallone, the American action actor best known for portraying the boxer Rocky Balboa in a series of eponymous films and the mercenary warrior John Rambo in another box-office franchise.
Mr. Trump spoke at length about Mr. Stallone, whom he said in January would serve as a special ambassador to Hollywood along with two other supporters, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, who he said would be his “eyes and ears” in the entertainment capital.
The announcement, in a week when Mr. Trump has taken federal control of Washington’s police department and launched a review of exhibits at the Smithsonian, marked another step in his cultural takeover of Washington and its institutions.
In March, Mr. Trump toured the Kennedy Center and met with his new board for the first time and floated the idea of hosting its annual honors ceremony himself, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by The New York Times. Mr. Trump referred to himself then as “the king of ratings.”
He boycotted the ceremony during his first term after several of the artists who were being honored criticized him. This time, he reveled in his view from behind the lectern, remarking on the center’s marble columns and his thoughts about how to renovate everything from its grand spaces to the lawns outside. “We’re going to redo the grass with the finest grasses,” he said.
Maybe he’ll put Trump graffiti on the walls of the Kennedy Center? Or sell Trump merchandise in the gift shop? Who knows? We have a demented sociopath at the helm. Once again, I wring my hands and ask how this could have happened. But that’s a waste of time. We just need to get into action for 2026 and turn this around.
Kennedy awards is a waste of tax dollars. government should not b in the business of entertaining no matter who is president.
You do understand that the government is involved “in the business of entertaining” through the issuing of copyright protections to films, recordings and books? The Constitution established the government’s responsibility in ensuring authors (at least initially–it’s since been expanded to music composers and film makers) received compensation for their creations. And, over the past 230+ years, Congress has amended the terms of copyright.
So, what’s the harm in “the government” providing honors to members of the entertainment industry? I am talking historically. With Drumpf turning himself into the seemingly sole arbiter of who receives the honors–whether he does it himself or through the board members that he hand-selected–it DOES present a different dynamic. The US does also have the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal (the first “entertainment” recipient of the latter was George Cohan in 1936 and poet Robert Frost was honored in 1960 with Bob Hope being honored in 1962; the Presidential Medal’s very first set of honorees in 1963 included Marian Anderson, Pablo Casals, E.B. White, Thornton Wilder and Andrew Wyeth). I trust you oppose these honors as well?
This way beyond farce, as is the entire Trump regime. Rocky/Rambo an ambassador to Hollywood? Washed-up actors as Trump’s spies in Tinseltown? But I have to give him credit for handing himself a Kennedy honor when those dastardly elite wokesters refused; next, he’ll need to buy the Norwegian Noble Committee and bag that coveted Peace Prize.
Washed up former actors living on imagined past glories and completely incapable of doing anything remotely relevant or useful now, is actually a good metaphor for the whole Trump regime.
“now does his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe upon a dwarfish thief” Macbeth
Your “… Trump will honor himself….” and in his acceptance speech to himself he’ll reveal that he actually died and came back to mortal life, after his ear graze injury from that attempted arse-an-ation incident. He’ nothing but a shallow false idol.
Were the chosen one’s aware of their award before the announcements? In other words, any chance one or more will turn down the “honor”?