President Donald Trump on Monday announced his plans to make major changes to the Kennedy Center Honors, suggesting he’s even prepared to host this year’s ceremony, in his attempt to solidify his takeover of the storied institution.
During a Kennedy Center board of trustees meeting led by Trump, who chairs the body, the president claimed he has not enjoyed the past ceremonies, seeming to indicate he could be the one to present the 2025 Honors.
“I don’t want to, but I want this thing to be successful,” he said, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by The Washington Post.
Last year’s ceremony was presented by Queen Latifah, a 2023 honoree.
While the Kennedy Centers Honors are usually attended by sitting presidents and first ladies, Trump and his wife, Melania, declined to attend during his first four years in office.
Trump claimed past honorees have included “radical left lunatics,” without naming specific artists he took issue with.
“I didn’t like it,” he said. “I couldn’t watch it. And the host was always terrible.”
Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola; rock band the Grateful Dead; blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt; and jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval were among last year’s honorees.
Going forward, Trump claimed, recipients will be “more conservative,” without specifying the type of role he’d have in their selection.
“We’ll go slightly more conservative, if you don’t mind, with some of the people,” he said.
“There are people out there that would not be considered that are much bigger stars than the ones that were being honored,” he continued.
The Kennedy Center Honors recognize artists who have made an extraordinary impact on the cultural life of our nation and continue to have an immeasurable influence on new generations,” according to the institution’s website.
Last month, Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center, which has had bipartisan support over the years, and fired former chairman David Rubenstein and 18 of its board members, including Deborah F. Rutter, its first woman president, who were appointed by former President Joe Biden.
Trump’s overhaul also prompted the resignations of many of its board members — including writer-producer Shonda Rhimes.
The hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” also canceled its eight-week run in 2026 at the performing arts center over his actions.
“The recent purge by the Trump Administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents,” the show’s producer said earlier this month.
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Trump claimed he was “never a big fan” of the show.
Over the weekend, Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, who was appointed by Trump to serve on the board, were booed while taking their seats for a concert at the Kennedy Center.