Trump Presents 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, Takes a Jab at Jimmy Kimmel
Former President Donald Trump presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees on Saturday, praising their achievements while taking a playful dig at late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Speaking at the ceremony, Trump criticized Kimmel’s past hosting of the awards.
“I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press. “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
Trump also highlighted that no sitting president had ever presided over the ceremony before.
“We have never had a president hosting the awards before. This is the first,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews, right? You know, they’ll say he was horrible… No, we’ll do fine.”
About the Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Traditionally, honorees are selected by the Kennedy Center, but this year Trump personally unveiled the 2025 list.
Trump praised the 2025 honorees as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class ever,” noting his active role in selecting them. “This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted, and unified millions of Americans. I know most of them and I’ve been a fan of all of them,” he said.
This year’s honorees include actor Sylvester Stallone; singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait; rock band Kiss; and actor-singer Michael Crawford. Trump had previously stated in August that he was “about 98% involved” in selecting the honorees, making the 2025 class the first curated under his administration.
Comments are closed.