Trump hosts Kennedy Center honorees and teases hosting skills: ‘I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews’ | Donald Trump

Donald Trump on Saturday evening hosted the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees in the Oval Office for a medal-presentation ceremony, celebrating country music singer George Strait, actor-singer Michael Crawford, actor Sylvester “Sly” Stallone and the members of the rock band Kiss.

“This is a great evening, it’s a great honor,” Trump said. “And I’m delighted to welcome to the Oval Office – the world-famous, most famous office in the world, most powerful office in the world – our truly exceptional 2025 Kennedy Center honorees.”

Trump said the honorees “inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans”, calling them “the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled”.

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell stood behind Trump as the president presented the medals. Grenell, who was appointed by Trump in February this year to head the center, is also a special envoy to Latin America for the administration.

The medallions to the honorees were “re-designed” by Tiffany and Co, Trump said. “They have done a fantastic job, they’re wonderful people – I know them very well because they’re right next to Trump Tower, I’ve lived with them many years,” he said.

Trump never visited the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in his first term, and did not take part in its annual awards program. But he’s taken a keen interest in his second. Since taking office, the president has ousted the center’s board of trustees and replacing them with supporters. He’s promised to “fully renovate” the center’s infrastructure, and make it a “crown jewel” of arts and culture in the US.

It was unclear how this year’s honorees were chosen, but Trump said in August when presenting the list that he had been “about 98% involved”.

The Kennedy Center Honors program and its series of tribute performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday, and will be broadcast later in December.

The president said in August that he would host the show, and Trump on Saturday set expectations high: “I believe – and I’m going to make a prediction: this will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done,” Trump said about Sunday’s event during the medal ceremony. “And they’ve gotten some pretty good ratings. But there’s nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night.”

Presidents traditionally attend the program, but none has ever presented the show, a fact Trump appeared aware of as well. “We never had a president hosting the awards before, this is a first. I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews, right?” Trump quipped. “No, we’ll do fine. I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible.”

“If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president,” Trump added.