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Trump Hosts Kennedy Honors
Former president Donald Trump served as an unusually hands-on host for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors telecast.
“President Trump personally hosted Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors — the first president to do so in the ceremony’s 47-year history”
By multiple accounts he became the first sitting president to take on hosting duties for the ceremony, mixing live stage appearances with pre-taped Oval Office segments.
Coverage noted that he walked the red carpet with Melania, introduced the five honorees in videos filmed at the White House, and even performed onstage during the show.
Outlets also recorded Trump’s booming self-promotion about the event, including claims that he had been heavily involved in selecting the class and predictions of record ratings for the broadcast.
Trump and Kimmel feud
Trump used his hosting platform to attack late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, renewing a long-running feud.
He mocked Kimmel’s talent and suggested the comedian had influence over his presidency.
Multiple outlets recorded Trump’s quips, including lines implying he shouldn’t be president if he couldn’t outshine Kimmel.
Contemporaneous reporting recalled earlier exchanges in which Trump publicly urged ABC to fire Kimmel and accused him of political bias.
Kennedy Center governance changes
Coverage highlighted how Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center's governance loomed over the ceremony, reporting that he replaced leadership, packed the board with allies, made himself board chair, and pushed through renovation funding.
“he ousted the center’s leadership, stacked the board with supporters, was elected board chair, has publicly criticized programming and the building’s appearance, and secured more than $250 million from Congress for renovations.”
Reporters also documented partisan ripples — fewer Democrats in attendance, mixed reactions among honorees, and staff turnover tied to the new management — all of which framed the evening as both a cultural gala and an institutional flashpoint.
2025 honors ceremony coverage
Reporters detailed the night’s programming and production changes and noted the 2025 class included Sylvester Stallone, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait and Michael Crawford.
The ceremony featured tributes and performances from a range of artists.
Trump introduced honorees with Oval Office segments, and the ceremony used redesigned medallions.
Coverage differed in focus: some pieces cataloged performers and TV moments, while others emphasized the political context or questioned the broadcast’s production choices and future network rights.
Media coverage differences
Coverage diverged on the political fallout and media-policy flashpoints tied to the event.
“The episode also involved controversy over FCC chairman Brendan Carr, who publicly threatened ABC, Disney and Kimmel after Kimmel’s monologue, drawing criticism that the threat was an abuse of power.”
Tabloid and entertainment outlets emphasized the renewed Trump–Kimmel feud and one-line barbs.
Political and mainstream outlets focused on governance questions, staff turnover, congressional funding, and concerns about possible abuses of power.
They also highlighted a public threat from the FCC chair toward ABC and Disney after a late-night monologue.