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Trump announces Kennedy Center honorees as he tries to put his stamp on DC
Trump announces Kennedy Center honorees as he tries to put his stamp on DC

CNN

time4 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • CNN

Trump announces Kennedy Center honorees as he tries to put his stamp on DC

President Donald Trump visited the Kennedy Center on Wednesday to unveil the next recipients of its hallmark honors — and announce that he would personally host the institution's awards show in December. The appearance at the iconic performing arts complex came as Trump seeks greater authority over Washington, DC, and its most prominent cultural institutions in an aggressive bid to put his stamp on the Democratic-led city. Trump seized control of the institution's board earlier this year, telling reporters Wednesday he would oversee a sweeping revamp of the center and its programming. 'We ended the woke political programming, and we're restoring the Kennedy Center as the premier venue for performing arts anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world,' Trump said. 'We have some unbelievable plans.' Trump, who said he was '98% involved' in picking the center's next slate of honorees, announced that the awards would be given to singer and songwriter George Strait; actors Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone; singer Gloria Gaynor; and the rock band KISS. While insisting that he did not push to be part of the award presentations, Trump nevertheless appeared to relish the prospect of hosting a television show again, years after rising to national prominence as the face of the reality TV show 'The Apprentice.' 'I think it will be quite successful,' Trump said. 'It's been a long time. I used to host the 'Apprentice' finales, and we did rather well with that.' The visit marks the president's third Kennedy Center appearance since returning to the White House, underscoring his personal interest in the activities of the performing arts center. At Trump's behest, congressional Republicans set aside $250 million in July for renovations to the center as part of their tax and spending bill. Those funds will go toward an expansive overhaul of the Kennedy Center, Trump said, arguing that it was badly in need of repairs when he took control of its operations. 'I'm determined to make Washington, DC, safe, clean and beautiful again,' he said. 'A big part of that is going to include the Kennedy Center.' In addition to assuming oversight of the performing arts center, Trump has pressured DC's museums, memorials and other historic sites to recast American history in a more favorable light, criticizing what he called in a March executive order a 'revisionist movement' meant to 'undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States.' On Tuesday, the White House ordered a review of Smithsonian museums and exhibits to ensure alignment with that directive. The president has also embarked on wide-ranging renovation of the White House. And in an unprecedented move this week fueled by his personal frustration with incidents of crime and homelessness in DC, Trump federalized the city's police force. The sprawling effort to exert federal influence across DC is an escalation from his first term, during which he remained largely disengaged from the cultural institutions of a city that had overwhelmingly rejected him at the ballot box. Trump notably declined to attend the Kennedy Center Honors all four years after some of the honorees in 2017 said they would boycott a traditional White House pre-reception. Yet since returning to office, he has prioritized bending key elements of DC to his will, as part of what officials have framed as an effort to beautify the city and its key institutions and drive out what Trump has long criticized as 'woke' elements that don't conform to his worldview. The Kennedy Center has served as an early focal point of that project, drawing an institution that had traditionally remained above the fray of partisan politics directly into the center of the nation's culture wars. Trump in February dismissed a slew of Democratic appointees from the center's board of trustees, replacing them with aides and allies that included chief of staff Susie Wiles and second lady Usha Vance. Trump was subsequently elected chairman, with longtime confidant Ric Grenell installed as the Kennedy Center's new president. The takeover prompted sharp criticism from Democrats and angered artists connected to the Kennedy Center — including the producer of the hit musical 'Hamilton,' who cancelled an upcoming run of the show that was supposed to go through 2026. A series of other prominent artists, including director Shonda Rhimes and musician Ben Folds, resigned from their positions at the center. Since then, Trump has taken a hands-on approach to overhauling programming and drawing up plans for renovating the complex. Asked about his involvement in picking the center's next honorees, Trump said he personally sifted through the candidates, rejecting some he felt were too 'woke.' He added that while he anticipated blowback for politicizing the Kennedy Center Honors, the controversy might drive up ratings for the awards show 'if we make it our kind of political.' On Monday, the Kennedy Center said it would host the premier of a film produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network that 'showcases the remarkable resurgence of faith among the youth in America.' It's an early sign of how programming may shift under the Trump-appointed leadership. The movie includes an appearance by Ben Carson, Trump's former secretary of Housing and Urban Development. That premier follows an earlier run of 'Les Misérables' — a favorite musical of Trump's — that the president attended in June. The appearance drew a mixed reaction, with some attendees booing Trump and four drag queens sitting below the presidential box in protest of his prior vows to rid the Kennedy Center of drag shows. Yet within the GOP, the Kennedy Center has become another rallying point for demonstrating loyalty to Trump. In July, House Republicans added a measure to a spending bill that would rename the center's opera house after first lady Melania Trump. Soon after, Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri introduced the Make Entertainment Great Again Act, which would go a step further and strip former President John F. Kennedy's name from the complex in favor of making it the 'Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts.' But ahead of Trump's visit on Wednesday, that proposal had yet to gain steam; so far, Onder's legislation has not attracted a single co-sponsor. This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio praises Cubans' resilience on island nation's Independence Day
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio praises Cubans' resilience on island nation's Independence Day

UPI

time20-05-2025

  • Politics
  • UPI

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio praises Cubans' resilience on island nation's Independence Day

Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured speaking during a Kennedy Center Board dinner at the White House on Monday on Tuesday marked the 123rd anniversary of Cuban Independence Day. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo May 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, marked the 123rd anniversary of Cuban Independence Day on Tuesday. "On Cuba's Independence Day, I want to express my unwavering support and solidarity for the Cuban people," Rubio said in a prepared statement. "I commend all those who have stood up against over six decades of brutal repression, censorship and human rights violations at the hands of the illegitimate Cuban regime," Rubio said. "Their tireless advocacy for a free, democratic and prosperous Cuba remains a beacon of hope and resistance for the world," he added. "Today we honor their sacrifice, courage and resilience." Cuban Independence Day marks the anniversary of the date when Cuba officially became independent of Spain in 1902. Cuban pro-democracy groups in the greater Miami area also are celebrating Cuban Independence Day with a rally scheduled in Tamiami Park during the evening hours, WFLA reported. The rally's aim is to pressure the Cuban dictatorship and communist government to leave the island nation. Bay of Pigs Assault Brigade veteran Rafael Montalvo said President Donald Trump could help remove the Cuban regime through his foreign policy and "restore the island into a first-class destination," according to the WFLA report. Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants and in February expanded visa restrictions on Cuban officials and others who are forcing Cuban citizens to participate in the Cuban labor export programs. Rubio said Cuban elites profit from the forced labor of workers, including skilled healthcare workers who are forced to provide healthcare services overseas. The Cuban labor export program deprives Cubans of much-needed medical care, he said. "The United States is committed to countering forced labor practices around the globe," he added. "To do so, we must promote accountability, not just for Cuban officials responsible for these policies, but also those complicit in the exploitation and forced labor of Cuban workers," Rubio said.

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