Cliff Notes
- Donald Trump will host the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, marking a shift from previous presidential attendance to active leadership.
- This year’s nominees reflect Trump’s cultural preferences, including George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, and Gloria Gaynor, and the show is described as “non-woke.”
- Trump’s engagement with Michael Crawford, known for his slapstick role as Frank Spencer, adds a layer of irony, especially as he prepares for a high-profile summit with Vladimir Putin.
Trump praises Frank Spencer actor as he prepares for major summit – sometimes the script writes itself | US News
It’s official. Donald Trump will host the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors – Washington‘s annual black-tie celebration of artistic achievement.
In previous years, occupants of the White House simply attended the event in the building named after President John F Kennedy.
Earlier this year, the US president sacked the board and installed himself as chairman and is threatening to put his own name on the door.
“GREAT nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY Center, whoops, I mean KENNEDY CENTER AWARDS…” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
Vowing that the show will be “non-woke”, he announced this year’s nominees – a stroll through Trump’s cultural sweet spot:
- George Strait, who’s branded the king of country music
- Sylvester Stallone, who, as Rocky Balboa, defeated the Cold War in a boxing ring
- Gloria Gaynor, whose “I will survive” could double as Trump’s campaign theme
- KISS, whose pyrotechnics will have the Secret Service on edge all evening
- And, wait for it, the British Broadway star, Michael Crawford
Crawford’s West End and Broadway career spans Barnum, The Woman in White and, of course, The Phantom Of The Opera..
The Phantom’s tendency to buy grand, chandelier-filled buildings, has won the approval of the real-estate mogul now remodelling the White House.
