Trump names Stallone, Strait among Kennedy Center honorees
By Susan STUMME
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday named "Rocky" star Sylvester Stallone and country music great George Strait among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, as he pursues a controversial overhaul of the storied arts venue.
Since returning to office in January, the Republican leader has declared war on what he calls "woke" viewpoints espoused in the nation's cultural institutions, including a fresh probe of content at several Smithsonian museums.
The Kennedy Center, a living monument to the late John F Kennedy that opened in 1971, has long enjoyed bipartisan support but has been in the president's crosshairs, and he appointed himself board chairman in February.
"We have completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution," Trump told reporters at the stately white marble complex overlooking the Potomac River. "We ended the woke political programming."
Also receiving the Kennedy Center Honors, one of the nation's highest arts awards for lifetime achievement, will be disco diva Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS and British actor Michael Crawford, known for Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera."
Trump announced he himself would host the awards gala, which usually takes place in early December and is later broadcast on CBS.
"I did not insist, but I think it will be quite successful," he said.
He also joked that he wanted an honor himself but was "never able to get one."
Stallone, who at 79 is the same age as Trump, is a three-time Oscar nominee: for best actor and screenplay for the 1976 classic boxing flick "Rocky," and for best supporting actor, again in the Rocky Balboa role, in the 2015 follow-up "Creed."
Trump called Stallone a "great actor."
He is also a major Trump supporter and one of the president's "Hollywood ambassadors" along with Jon Voight and Mel Gibson.
In November 2024, at a post-election event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida, Stallone called him "the second George Washington."
Strait, 73, is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with more than 120 million records sold. He is known for huge hits like "All My Exes Live in Texas" and "Amarillo by Morning."
"He's a good looking guy. Hope he still looks like that," Trump quipped.
Gaynor, 81, is the singer behind the monster disco anthem "I Will Survive."
KISS, formed in the 1970s in Trump's hometown New York City, gained fame with its shock rock performances and outlandish black and white face paint.
"They work hard, and they're still working hard," the U.S. president said.
Crawford, 83, made his mark on British television in the 1970s before achieving international success by originating the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Phantom of the Opera," thrilling audiences with his powerful tenor voice.
"I think he's one of the greatest talents I've ever actually seen," Trump said Wednesday.
In his first term, from 2017 to 2021, the Republican president skipped the Kennedy Center Honors gala because some of the artists receiving awards criticized him or said they would not attend in his presence.
The Kennedy Center is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and also offers theater, opera, comedy and other productions.
Many artists associated with the center, including opera singer Renee Fleming and musician Ben Folds, have cut ties with the institution since Trump took the reins. Others including comedian Issa Rae canceled performances.
The producers of smash hit historical musical "Hamilton" opted to cancel a scheduled 2026 run, citing the end of "neutrality" at the center.
"We're restoring the Kennedy Center as the premier venue for performing arts anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world," Trump said.
"It was being run down, money wasn't being spent properly. They were building things they shouldn't have built that nobody wanted instead of taking care of the great gem that it is."
The Smithsonian Institution, which runs a vast network of museums, said it was reviewing a White House letter announcing a probe of content aimed at removing "divisive or partisan narratives."
Among the museums targeted are the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian, the letter said.
© 2025 AFP
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