Donald Trump announced that he will host the prestigious Kennedy Center honors this year, marking a significant break from tradition. Traditionally, the President of the United States joins the annual event, typically during the month of December. While there, they sit in the audience as a VIP but return the favor and throw a White House reception for awardees. Trump’s decision to take the stage as host underscores his intention to exert more authority over U.S. cultural institutions.
Founded in 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors celebrate a wide range of artists spanning the fields of dance, theater, music, and art who have enriched American culture. An independent bipartisan advisory committee then chooses the awardees. Even greats such as George Balanchine, Tom Hanks, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, and Stephen Sondheim have been recognized. As of this year, when honorees began to be selected, Trump has claimed he is “about 98%” in favor of selecting these honorees. His statement illustrates his deep desire to refashion the event.
Trump’s nominations included a number of high profile, albeit unusual nominees, like actor Sylvester Stallone and singer Gloria Gaynor. He inducted the rock group Kiss, country music star George Strait, and actor-singer Michael Crawford. This apparent selection continues an overall trend to celebrate artists who align with his sentiments. Throughout his first term, Trump was spared the Kennedy Center awards as a deluge of artists condemned his presidency and announced their refusal to attend the awards ceremony.
“GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS” – Donald Trump
Not just did Trump host this event, he used it to lay out his most ambitious plans yet. His vision is to “completely overhaul” the Kennedy Center’s infrastructure, remaking it into the United States’ “crown jewel” of arts and culture. His comments are a welcome indication that he is serious about turning around an important institution that he acknowledges has “fallen on hard times.”
Trump’s announcement has drawn mixed reactions. Maria Shriver, the niece of the late President Kennedy, expressed her outrage, calling a plan to rename the entire Kennedy Center after Trump “disgusting” and “un-American.” She called the concept “crazy.” This further illustrates the contentious conversation around his impact on our cultural institutions. It opens up an uncomfortable dialogue on what this means for artistic expression and recognition.
In the past, the Kennedy Center honors have been a rare purely unifying event celebrating artistic accomplishment and talent across the political spectrum. Whether or not Trump’s involvement here is criminal, it raises a number of important questions. Will these honors remain effective at building bipartisan love for the arts for years to come?
Trump prepares for the opening ceremony. He will have to walk the line of deploying his highly controversial political persona while under the glare of the often very chummy and prestigious event. Artists and cultural leaders alike have been closely following the action on this year’s Award. They want to see if it can maintain its maverick course, contrary to the political winds.