President Donald Trump’s stewardship of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has once again thrust the annual Kennedy Center Honors into the national spotlight. This year, the 48th iteration of the prestigious ceremony—set for December 7, 2025, at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, DC—has become a lightning rod for political and cultural debate, thanks to Trump’s hands-on approach to selecting honorees and the ensuing controversy surrounding some of his choices.
On August 14, 2025, President Trump, who installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center earlier this year, broke with tradition by announcing the 2025 honorees during a press conference rather than the customary press release. According to The Washington Post, Trump named a star-studded roster: actor Sylvester Stallone, rock band Kiss, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, British actor Michael Crawford, and country music legend George Strait. Notably absent from the list, however, was Tom Cruise, whom Trump had tapped for the honor but who ultimately declined due to what his representatives called “scheduling conflicts.”
The 63-year-old Cruise, fresh off the May release of his latest Mission: Impossible film, The Final Reckoning, is reportedly occupied with several projects slated for 2026. His decision to bow out was confirmed to The Washington Post by several anonymous sources at the Center. Cruise, known for his aversion to political posturing, has consistently sidestepped questions about his political leanings. During a recent press junket for his film, when asked by a Korean reporter about the impact of Trump’s tariffs on production, Cruise responded diplomatically: “We’d rather answer questions about the movie. Thank you.”
With Cruise out of the picture, the focus shifted to the remaining honorees—and particularly to Gloria Gaynor, whose inclusion has stirred up a storm of criticism and debate. Gaynor, best known for her 1978 disco anthem “I Will Survive,” now finds herself at the center of a cultural tug-of-war. Her selection, some say, is emblematic of the broader political and social fissures that have come to define the Trump era.
Left-leaning commentators and segments of the media have been especially vocal. On Instagram, The View co-host Ana Navarro publicly urged Gaynor to reject the award, arguing that Trump “is a stain on the prestige and significance” of the Kennedy Center. Navarro, while calling Gaynor a “goddess” who “deserves all the flowers that come her way,” expressed her “wish” that Gaynor not “accept an award from the hands of a man who has attacked the rights and history of women, people of color, and LGBTQ.” Navarro further noted the significance of Gaynor’s signature song within the gay community, stating, “the gay community, in particular, helped turn her signature song into an anthem.” Her plea was direct: “Don’t do it, Gloria!”
The criticism did not end there. On CNN, Atlanta-Journal Constitution Washington Bureau Chief Tia Mitchell questioned not only the appropriateness of Gaynor’s selection but also its motivations. “I do believe as much as the Trump administration has attacked DEI, I think they wanted a person of color on the list of Kennedy Center honorees,” Mitchell said. She went on to suggest that Gaynor’s artistic credentials were lacking, stating, “And to me, the fact that Gloria Gaynor is the one person of color on the list indicates that they struggle to find a person of color who would agree to be on the list, because she doesn’t have a huge body of work, which is what the Kennedy Center usually picks is people who are icons in their genre of the arts, and she’s basically a one hit wonder.”
Such remarks have drawn sharp rebuttals from other quarters. On The Megyn Kelly Show, editor-at-large of County Highway Walter Kirn argued that the criticism reveals a double standard within progressive circles. “They want to have it both ways,” Kirn said. “They tell you when you can receive an honor and when you must, and they tell you when you shouldn’t and when you mustn’t. And they do it from on high, and they do it to people who’ve worked hard all their lives.” Kirn further criticized the focus on Gaynor’s race, noting, “The first thing they notice about [Gaynor] is her race. At the same time, they want to say that she’s a token… You can’t have it both ways.” He described the situation as emblematic of what he called “anti-racist commissars” who “will tell you when you’re an Uncle [Tom]; and they will tell you when you’re a shining light; and they determine it.”
Host Megyn Kelly chimed in with her own take on the ever-shifting rules for artists navigating the intersection of politics and recognition. “If you are a minority who elevates herself just with great talent and a great song, then that’s not okay because it’s ‘evil orange man’ who is honoring you,” Kelly remarked. “I’m trying to keep up with the rules… If you are an artist who would like to accept a Kennedy Center Award, how do you do the calculation? What is the math?” Kirn, not missing a beat, joked that perhaps artists should “call up MSNBC and say, ‘Can you arrange a panel and determine whether or not I should be able to get this award or not?’” Ultimately, Kirn’s advice was blunt: “The answer to that, for any self-respecting artist, should be: F-you. Go away.”
Meanwhile, President Trump has leaned into the controversy, touting the Kennedy Center Honors as “among the most prestigious awards in the performing arts.” During his announcement, Trump was effusive in his praise for Stallone’s portrayals of “Rambo” and “Rocky” and called Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” “one of those few that get better every time.” He also promised that Kiss would “do something very special” during the ceremony. Trump made it clear that he was “heavily involved” in the selection process, even boasting, “I turned down plenty. They were too woke. I had a couple of wokesters.” He lamented the decline in viewership for the Academy Awards, attributing it to political content: “Look at the Academy Awards, 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. That used to have 45 million people watching.”
Amidst the swirl of politics, personal attacks, and cultural commentary, one thing remains unchanged: the Kennedy Center Honors continue to be a stage not only for celebrating artistic achievement but also for reflecting the nation’s ongoing debates about identity, recognition, and the role of politics in public life. As the December 7 ceremony approaches, all eyes will be on Washington—not only to see who takes the stage, but also how the event itself will be remembered in this particularly contentious chapter of American culture.
