Trump selects new Kennedy Center honorees and bans woke influence

President Donald Trump is once again proving that leadership matters this time in the realm of culture. In a bold and unprecedented move, Trump personally announced this year’s Kennedy Center honorees during a live press conference, breaking from the stale tradition of a silent press release.

The message couldn’t have been clearer under Trump, the Kennedy Center is no longer a playground for woke elites.

This year’s honorees reflect a celebration of authentic American talent, not political activism:

• George Strait – the king of country music and a true American icon

• Sylvester Stallone – the working-class hero behind Rocky and Rambo

• KISS – the hard-hitting rock band that shaped generations

• Michael Crawford – legendary voice of The Phantom of the Opera

• Gloria Gaynor – the disco diva whose message of resilience and faith still inspires

“I was about 98% involved,” Trump said proudly. “They all came through me.”

Trump confirmed what millions of Americans have long suspected about major cultural institutions: they’ve been hijacked by woke ideologues. “I turned down plenty,” Trump said, referring to potential nominees. “They were too woke. … We have great people. This is very different than it used to be.”

And it is.

Contrast this with the disaster that is today’s Academy Awards, which Trump referenced directly: “It gets lousy ratings now, it’s all woke. All they do is talk about how much they hate Trump, but nobody likes that. They don’t watch anymore.”

He’s not wrong. The Oscars hit an all-time low in viewership just a few years ago, with fewer than 10 million Americans tuning in. Compare that to the 57 million who watched when they actually honored talent, not ideology, in 1998.

Earlier this year, Trump took over as chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board and immediately began reshaping its direction. He removed legacy members, brought in allies like Richard Grenell as president, and made it clear: this institution would no longer promote radical agendas.

“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” Trump declared back in February. And he meant it. The turning point came when he put an end to taxpayer-funded drag performances targeting kids something the left defended until public outrage finally boiled over.

Trump’s version of the Kennedy Center isn’t just about glitz and glamour. It’s about returning to the true values of American culture hard work, faith, grit, and unapologetic patriotism.

The 48th Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on December 7 mark your calendars. This won’t be the same tired parade of lectures and virtue-signaling. It’s a celebration for Americans who are tired of watching Hollywood shame the very country that made it possible.

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