Overview
- During Saturday’s Oval Office medal ceremony, President Trump said “Jimmy Kimmel was horrible” while previewing his role in the televised event.
- The 2025 Honors tape Sunday with Trump set to host, a first for a sitting president, as he predicted the broadcast would deliver record ratings.
- Shortly after taking office, Trump removed the Kennedy Center board and installed loyalists, later becoming chairman, and he has said he was “98% involved” in picking honorees while rejecting some as “too woke.”
- Kimmel has never hosted the Kennedy Center Honors, with his only prior appearance being a 2012 tribute to David Letterman, as the pair’s long-running feud has intensified in recent weeks.
- The Kennedy Center says this year’s celebration raised a record $23 million, and Trump staged the first official on‑camera Oval Office ceremony recognizing the recipients.