President Donald Trump playfully asked whether he should "leave the Presidency in order to make 'hosting' a full time job" in a social media post promoting Tuesday night's broadcast of The Trump Kennedy Center Honors.
"THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER HONORS will be broadcast tonight, on CBS, and Stream on Paramount+. Tune in at 8 P.M. EST!" Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he is hosting "at the request of the Board, and just about everybody else in America."
He invited viewers to judge his "Master of Ceremony" skills as the event honors "true GREATS" — actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford, the rock band KISS, country music star George Strait, and singer Gloria Gaynor.
Each recipient has had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts.
"For nearly half a century, this tradition has celebrated those whose voices and visions tell our nation's story and share it with the world. This year's Honorees have left an indelible mark on our history, reminding us that the arts are for everyone," said Ambassador Richard Grenell, Kennedy Center president.
The broadcast includes Trump's Dec. 7 appearance on the Kennedy Center stage, where he praised the honorees as "legendary" and touted their global reach, with tribute performances celebrating their influence on American entertainment and culture.
Trump appeared multiple times throughout the ceremony and, in trademark fashion, mixed compliments with jokes at the expense of political opponents in the room, signaling that the once-staid Washington tradition is being recast with a more populist tone.
The event also underscores Trump's broader effort to challenge what conservatives have long criticized as elite cultural gatekeeping.
Since returning to office, Trump has attacked "woke" programming at major institutions and pushed for a reorientation toward more broadly popular, patriotic, and mainstream fare — a cultural fight Republicans argue is inseparable from the political one.
The Kennedy Center's board last week voted unanimously to rename the institution The Trump Kennedy Center.
Supporters see the renaming vote as a blunt acknowledgment that Trump's allies have taken control of a cultural landmark that conservatives say too often reflected progressive tastes and ideological activism.
Critics argue it politicizes a national institution, but Trump's backers counter that the center was already politicized — just in one direction — and that transparency about leadership and priorities is overdue.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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