President Donald Trump took charge of the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, claiming the event was receiving “rave reviews” even before it concluded. The ceremony, which recognises lifetime achievement in the performing arts, marked the first time a sitting president has served as host in its 47-year history.
Trump, who seized control of the Kennedy Center in February, joked about renaming the venue the “Trump-Kennedy Center” and described the evening as “the greatest in the history of the Kennedy Center.” He predicted high ratings and criticised the “fake news” media for giving him poor reviews.
The honourees included actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor, country star George Strait, rock band Kiss, and British stage actor Michael Crawford. Trump said he was deeply involved in selecting the recipients, whittling down about 50 names to five.
The ceremony featured tributes from performers such as Kurt Russell, Garth Brooks, and Cheap Trick. Trump entered to the theme from Rocky, and the audience included defence secretary Pete Hegseth and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
