Overview
- Gloria Gaynor, 82, said she was in shock to be honored and described her White House encounter as her third or fourth meeting with Donald Trump, calling him very personable and very pleasant.
- Trump hosted and emceed this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, introduced honorees via prerecorded videos, and welcomed the group at the White House, marking the first time a sitting president led the event.
- Gaynor was the only woman in the 2025 class, which also included George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, KISS, and Michael Crawford.
- Coverage notes institutional changes, with the Kennedy Center board replaced by Trump-installed trustees; a senior administration official said the president took a personal interest in shaping the honoree list.
- Fans and advocacy outlets questioned Gaynor’s participation given her song’s LGBTQ+ significance; Billboard cites a MediasTouch report using FEC records that she donated nearly $22,000 to right‑wing politicians starting in 2023.