Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

Trump Hosts the Kennedy Center Honors, Breaking Tradition

President Trump hosted the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, personally selecting honorees and overseeing institutional changes amid a leadership overhaul and new award designs.

  • On Dec. 7, President Donald Trump hosted the Kennedy Center Honors, becoming the first President to serve as host; the taped ceremony will air on CBS on December 23.
  • After boycotting the Honors in his first term, Trump appointed himself board chairman, fired Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell and ordered a renovation during his second term.
  • Honorees received redesigned gold medallions from Tiffany & Co. hanging from navy-blue ribbons, while Trump appeared on stage three times and used prerecorded videos to praise Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Michael Crawford and KISS.
  • Kennedy Center staff and audiences face turnover, declining ticket sales, and ended LGBTQ events under Ric Grenell, Kennedy Center president, reshaping programming and symbols like the rainbow ribbon.
  • President Donald Trump predicted the taped CBS broadcast will have the highest television ratings ever, saying, `This is the greatest evening in the history of the Kennedy Center`, though it was unclear how much of his 12-minute opening will air.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions

122 Articles

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 49% of the sources are Center
49% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

Upstract broke the news in on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal