Trump Infuses Politics and Controversy into Kennedy Center Honors

### Simple Version President Donald Trump recently hosted the Kennedy Center Honors. This is a big event where famous artists like **Sylvester Stallone** and **KISS** get awards for their work. It was December 7, 2025. This was the first time President Trump actually hosted the event, even though it happens every year. In his first four years as president, he never showed up.

During the awards show, President Trump said some interesting things. He told parts of the audience that he knew them, and they were "miserable, horrible people." *Quite the compliment for a fancy awards night, huh?* He also talked about how he had changed the Kennedy Center. Back in February, he got rid of a bunch of people on the board that runs the center. Then, he put his own friends and allies in their place, and they voted him to be the boss, the chairman. He said he did this to make sure the Kennedy Center wasn't "woke" anymore and that it would run "properly." He even claimed he was "98 percent involved" in picking the artists who got awards and turned down many he thought were "too woke."

Republicans have even suggested renaming the Kennedy Center itself to the "Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts" and the Opera House to the "First Lady Melania Trump Opera House." This idea has made some people, like **President John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg**, pretty upset. Schlossberg said this would go against the law and that Trump is trying to erase history and suppress artistic freedom. He also said that Trump is obsessed with being "bigger than JFK."

### How Fox Would Spin It "President Trump, a true champion of American values, **SINGLE-HANDEDLY SAVES** the Kennedy Center from the clutches of the *radical woke mob*! After years of taxpayer money going to *disgraceful, anti-American shows*, our fearless President stepped in. He cleaned house, getting rid of the globalist elites on the board and putting real patriots in charge. Now, for the first time, the Kennedy Center is **BACK**, celebrating TRUE American legends like **Sylvester Stallone** and **KISS**, not some *obscure, liberal garbage*. He even personally vetted every honoree, ensuring no 'woke' propaganda snuck in! The left, of course, is *furious* that President Trump dared to call out the 'miserable, horrible people' in the audience—likely the same D.C. swamp creatures who hate America! They want to silence him, but he’s making the arts **GREAT AGAIN!** Renaming the center? It's only fair! It's *his* vision, *his* success, and *his* $100 million raised! The deep state is crying, but Americans are cheering!"

### DeFoxed Reality Check Okay, let's take a deep breath and look at what actually happened without all the fireworks. President Trump did indeed host the **2025 Kennedy Center Honors** on **December 7**. He was there to give awards to some big names in entertainment: **Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford**. This was a change from his first term, where he always skipped the event.

Here's the real story behind his involvement: * In **February 2025**, shortly after starting his second term, President Trump removed **18 members** from the Kennedy Center's board. * He then replaced them with people who are considered his allies, including **Vice President JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance**, and **White House chief of staff Susie Wiles**. * The newly appointed board then elected **President Trump as their chairman** on **February 12**. *Funny how that works, isn't it?* * Trump stated his goal was to "make sure it runs properly" and specifically mentioned not needing "woke at the Kennedy Center." He also claimed to be "98 percent involved" in choosing the honorees, having turned down "plenty who were too woke." This isn't how these boards typically operate, and it shows a clear effort to politicize an arts institution. * During his speech, he did make an off-the-cuff remark, calling some audience members "miserable, horrible people." *A very presidential way to kick off an awards ceremony honoring artistic excellence.* * He also boasted about the Kennedy Center being "back" and having raised "$100 million" in the last month, a figure that is hard to verify instantly and presented without context of previous fundraising efforts. He also attended his first show, *Les Misérables*, in June, where he was *booed*. So much for uniting the arts community.

The idea of renaming the Kennedy Center to the **"Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts"** and the Opera House to the **"First Lady Melania Trump Opera House"** comes from a bill proposed by Republicans in late July, called the "Make Entertainment Great Again Act." This is not a done deal. **Jack Schlossberg, JFK's grandson**, has rightly pointed out that such a move would likely go against federal law. He argued that Trump is trying to suppress free expression and that "art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for." *Pretty sure renaming a federal monument dedicated to a former president isn't usually decided by one person's taste in "woke" shows.* This whole situation highlights how President Trump continues to use his power to reshape cultural institutions to fit his political views, even at the expense of established norms and the potential for legal challenges.

### Why This Matters This situation matters because it shows a clear effort to **politicize cultural institutions** like the Kennedy Center. By removing board members and appointing allies, President Trump is reshaping how arts and culture are celebrated and presented in the U.S. *It's a classic move: if you don't like how something is run, just take it over and make it your own.* This isn't just about a name change; it's about control over narratives, who gets honored, and what kind of art is considered "acceptable." When a president uses an awards ceremony to insult guests and boast about his "anti-woke" influence, it shifts the focus from artistic achievement to political grandstanding. This could set a precedent for future administrations to similarly interfere with the independence of cultural bodies, turning them into extensions of political power rather than independent celebrations of art.