Overview
- Trump emceed the Dec. 7 ceremony, a presidential first, appearing on stage throughout the show after a weekend of events with honorees.
- He presented the awards at the Oval Office and introduced a Tiffany-designed gold medallion on a navy ribbon, replacing the long‑used rainbow ribbon.
- He said he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the 2025 class—Sylvester Stallone, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait and Michael Crawford—and rejected nominees he labeled “too woke.”
- He told guests a television network urged him to host and predicted the Dec. 23 broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ would deliver record ratings.
- The event capped a year of changes at the Kennedy Center, including a board overhaul that made Trump chair, Ric Grenell’s presidency, more than $250 million secured for renovations, and reporting of staff turnover and weaker ticket sales; on stage he also knocked Jimmy Kimmel and called some in the audience “miserable, horrible people.”