Trump Hosts Kennedy Center Honorees in Oval Office
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WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump hosted the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees in the Oval Office on Saturday, presenting medals to Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Kiss and Michael Crawford. Since returning to office in January, Trump replaced the center's board with GOP appointees and said he was largely involved in selecting this year's honorees in August; traditional selections had been made by a bipartisan committee. The White House described the Oval Office gathering as a medal presentation. The Kennedy Center vice president said major outlets sought credentials for the ceremony this week. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.
Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.
Timeline of Events
- January 2025: President Trump returned to office and replaced the Kennedy Center board with GOP-aligned trustees.
- August 2025: Trump personally announced the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees and said he was 'about 98% involved.'
- Early December 2025: Kennedy Center public relations noted major outlets seeking credentials for upcoming events.
- Saturday (early December 2025): The White House hosted the 2025 honorees in the Oval Office for a medal presentation.
- Post-ceremony (December 2025): Media reports and outlets discussed selection transparency and access to the ceremony.
- Articles Published:
- 6
- Right Leaning:
- 1
- Left Leaning:
- 0
- Neutral:
- 5
- Distribution:
- Left 0%, Center 83%, Right 17%
President Trump and aligned GOP appointees benefited from prominent public visibility and perceived influence over honoree selection and ceremonial presentation.
The Kennedy Center's institutional norms and perceived bipartisan selection process suffered scrutiny, and some legacy media outlets faced restricted access or last-minute credential challenges.
Coverage of Story:
From Left
No left-leaning sources found for this story.
From Center
Trump Hosts Kennedy Center Honorees in Oval Office
The Daily Wire WKMG Chicago Tribune 2 News Nevada The Dallas Morning NewsFrom Right
The Kennedy Center Honors Are So Hot, Even The New York Times Is Clamoring To Get In - Conservative Angle
Brigitte Gabriel
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