() President Donald Trump will host the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, the president announced Wednesday during a visit to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This year’s honorees include country music star George Strait, English actor Michael Crawford, actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor and glam rock band KISS.
When a reporter asked about his involvement in the selection process, Trump said he was “very involved.”
“I turned down plenty, they were too woke. I had a couple of wokesters,” he said.
As the honorees were announced, visitors to the Kennedy Center’s website were made to wait in a virtual line to avoid it crashing.
Trump touts plans for Kennedy Center
“GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,” Trump said on social media ahead of the visit.
Trump, who did not attend performances at the center during his first term, fired the center’s board of trustees and the previous chair before appointing himself as a replacement.
In his social media post, Trump also referred to physical changes at the center, touting a “top level of luxury and glamour.” He did not share any details, though he has shown a distinct style preference in previous renovations.
At the center Wednesday, the president touted the building’s “good bones” and said the center would be cleaned up, suggesting it had been neglected. He mentioned remodeling the seats in the building.
“We’re going to make the Kennedy Center a crown jewel,” Trump said.
Trump has steered the performing arts center toward more conservative-leaning content, including Christian-focused shows. During his visit, he said he put an end to “woke” programming.
Since he took over, ticket sales have dropped, and some shows, including the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” have pulled out of previously planned engagements.
Trump continues to promote his D.C. efforts
On Wednesday, he said the administration would be upgrading the parks in Washington, D.C.
“We’re going to redo the grass with the finest grasses,” Trump said.
Trump continued to promote his efforts to federalize policing in the district, saying he would reduce crime and accusing D.C. officials of lying about statistics showing a decrease in crime.
At times, Trump veered into political topics, including immigration and his criticism of Democrat-led cities, which he has repeatedly disparaged.
Taking questions from reporters, he said he had heard of Russia hacking into the federal court system and said they are “very good” at that.
He also said he planned to meet with congressional Democrats about the upcoming September funding deadline but also called it a waste of time.
Trump expressed that a 30-day deadline for his federal takeover of D.C. was too short and said he would be seeking extensions from Congress. If those did not happen, Trump indicated he would declare a national emergency to continue his efforts.
Trump on Russia, Ukraine
Regarding his efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Trump spoke positively of a virtual meeting with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I would rate it a 10,” he said.
However, Trump said he does not think he can get Russia to stop targeting Ukraine.
He also addressed his ongoing feud with Fed chair Jerome Powell over interest rates and continued to attack Powell for refusing to lower rates.
