President Donald Trump personally selected and announced his roster of Kennedy Center honorees, framing the choices as a reflection of his vision for American culture. The event highlighted Trump’s direct intervention in cultural institutions while revealing his plans to extend federal authority over urban policy.
Trump unveiled the honorees on August 13, 2025, at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, emphasizing his 98% involvement in choosing recipients who aligned with his ideological preferences. The honorees included country singer George Strait, actor Sylvester Stallone, disco icon Gloria Gaynor, musical theater performer Michael Crawford, and rock band KISS. Trump explicitly stated he rejected artists he deemed ‘too woke,’ framing the selections as restoring patriotic values to national arts recognition.
The announcement occurred against the backdrop of Trump’s broader efforts to reshape American cultural institutions, following his takeover of the Kennedy Center board earlier in 2025. He connected the arts initiative to his recent deployment of federal forces in Washington D.C., declaring intentions to similarly ‘clean up’ other cities. During the event, Trump announced he would host the awards ceremony despite initial reluctance, joking about being honored himself next year.
Trump’s cultural preferences surfaced prominently, with effusive praise for Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ – a song his ex-wife Ivana reportedly listened to during their divorce proceedings. He also nostalgically referenced Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, pledging to revive them in D.C. theaters. These choices reflect Trump’s longstanding affinity for disco and show tunes, evidenced by his controversial campaign playlists featuring artists like Elton John and Village People.
Beyond the arts, Trump pivoted to urban policy, vowing to remove homeless encampments from parks to make cities ‘beautiful.’ He dismissed critics calling him a ‘dictator,’ instead demanding collaboration and threatening to declare a national emergency for broader municipal interventions. This stance aligns with his recent deployment of National Guard troops in Washington D.C. following clashes with local officials.
The honorees’ selection signals Trump’s strategy to politicize traditionally nonpartisan cultural institutions, using them as platforms to advance his ideological agenda. His rejection of ‘woke’ artists introduces new litmus tests for federal arts recognition, potentially marginalizing diverse voices. Stallone’s inclusion particularly underscores Trump’s preference for figures embodying hypermasculine aesthetics, having previously named the actor a ‘special ambassador to Hollywood.’
Looking ahead, Trump plans to leverage the December awards ceremony for prime-time visibility while expanding his cultural interventions nationwide. His threats against homelessness set the stage for federal clashes with cities like Los Angeles and New York, where he promised to replicate D.C.’s militarized approach. These moves indicate Trump’s growing willingness to deploy executive power beyond traditional policy domains into cultural and social spheres.