WASHINGTON, DC – US President Donald Trump took center stage on Sunday as host of the storied Kennedy Center’s flagship awards program, praising select entertainers and his own forceful overhaul of the storied arts venue.
The Kennedy Center Honors highlight prestige in the arts, and this year’s honorees included “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone, country singer George Strait, disco legend Gloria Gaynor and rock band KISS.
Since returning to office in January, the 79-year-old Republican president has declared war on what he calls “woke” viewpoints and the nation’s cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, which have made significant efforts to highlight more diverse talents in recent years.
“Each of these honorees has a story of success and triumph that would only have happened in the United States,” Trump told the audience, which included Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, US Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top members of his administration. AFP
While Trump’s predecessors were content to attend the show and watch musical performances and speeches from the presidential box, the former reality host donned a tuxedo and seized the opportunity to be on stage with the stars.
“This is the greatest evening in the history of the Kennedy Center,” Trump said, telling the audience that he had toured the renovations he has initiated. “This place is hot.”
The Kennedy Center, a living monument to the late former president and civil rights advocate John F. Kennedy, opened in 1971 and has long enjoyed bipartisan support. The awards started being given in 1978.
Trump appointed himself board chairman for the Kennedy Center in February, and has taken to renovating the stately white marble complex overlooking the Potomac River in Washington. AFP
