KEY POINTS
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that actor Sylvester Stallone, the rock band KISS, and singers George Strait and Gloria Gaynor will be among this year’s Kennedy Center honorees, asserting an unprecedented level of personal control over the prestigious awards. In his new role as chairman of the Kennedy Center, President Trump said he was “98% involved” in a selection process he designed to exclude artists he deemed “wokesters,” signaling a direct political intervention into one of the nation’s highest cultural honors.
A Hands-On Chairman
The announcement underscores a dramatic overhaul of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since President Trump returned to office. Earlier this year, he dismissed the center’s president and much of its board, subsequently assuming the role of chairman himself—a move that critics decried as a politicization of a traditionally independent cultural institution.
Breaking with decades of tradition, President Trump also announced he will host the honors ceremony later this year. “I was very involved,” he reiterated during the unveiling event, where portraits of the honorees were revealed. He also pledged to spearhead a full renovation of the federally supported facility, vowing to repair seats and update the building overlooking the Potomac River.
An ‘Anti-Woke’ Selection
President Trump explicitly framed his selection criteria as a direct counter to what he calls “wokeness,” a term he uses to describe what he sees as excessive orthodoxy around progressive ideas. He noted that some prospective honorees were rejected for this reason and acknowledged that other artists had turned down the award, an apparent nod to the discontent surrounding his leadership.
The chosen artists reflect a range of political leanings. Stallone is a vocal supporter of President Trump, having previously lauded his election victory. In contrast, Gene Simmons, the lead singer of KISS, has been critical of President Trump in the past, stating in 2022 that he believed the president was “out for himself.”
Backlash in the Arts Community
President Trump’s takeover of the 54-year-old center has been met with significant resistance from the artistic community. Following the ouster of the previous board, numerous performers canceled engagements at the venue in protest.
Among the most prominent were the producers of the Broadway hit Hamilton. In a statement explaining their decision to withdraw, they said, “We cannot presently support an institution that has been forced by external forces to betray its mission as a natural cultural center that fosters the free expression of art.”
A Wider Cultural Push
The president’s actions at the Kennedy Center appear to be part of a broader effort to reshape Washington’s cultural institutions ahead of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding in 2026. President Trump pledged to make the center a “crown jewel” of arts and culture in time for the celebration.
This initiative extends beyond the performing arts. His administration announced this week that it will conduct a review of all current and planned exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution. The review will examine museum text, websites, and social media “to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals,” giving the Smithsonian 120 days to address any identified issues.
President Trump’s direct intervention in the Kennedy Center Honors marks a significant escalation in the nation’s culture wars. By personally steering the nominations and using the platform to oppose “wokeness,” he is transforming a revered artistic celebration into a new front for his political agenda, creating deep divisions within the arts world.
