Overview

• President Trump said he will chair the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony after claiming he was “begged” to take the role despite initially declining.
• He declared he plans to give himself a Kennedy Center Honor next year, saying “Next year we’ll honor Trump, OK?”
• Late Night host Seth Meyers called Trump’s “begged” exchange “definitely a fake conversation,” quipping he deserves a Best Original Screenplay award for it.
• Meyers urged conservative commentators to explain their silence after Trump admitted to excluding what he called “wokesters” from this year’s honorees.
• Critics warn Trump’s leadership role threatens the nonpartisan integrity of the Kennedy Center by politicizing lifetime achievement awards.