Trump praises Kennedy Center upgrades while presenting medals to honorees

On Saturday, President Trump presented medals to the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, praising the ongoing renovations at the iconic Washington arts venue. This comes months after he announced a major overhaul and assumed the role of the centers board chair.

We are creating something truly exceptional, Trump said in the Oval Office, according to a pool report. It had been somewhat neglected, much like the White House, and we are restoring it to a level that few places in the country will ever see.

The president awarded medals to what he called arguably the most distinguished and celebrated class of Kennedy Center Honorees in history. The honorees included English actor Michael Crawford, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, actor Sylvester Stallone, country music legend George Strait, and members of the rock band KISS.

All members of KISS Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss, along with the daughter of the late guitarist Ace Frehley were present in the Oval Office on Saturday evening. The official Kennedy Center Honors ceremony is set for Sunday.

Since Trump took over the centers operations, ticket sales have sharply declined. Earlier this year, he removed several members of the centers bipartisan board, stating that the institution had become overly woke. Following these changes, numerous performers resigned or canceled appearances at the venue.

During a March tour of the Kennedy Center, Trump described the facility as being in severe disrepair and promised to renovate it. In October, he posted an update on Truth Social, highlighting that the exterior columns had been beautifully coated in a luxurious white enamel, replacing the previously artificial-looking gold paint. He humorously referred to the building as the TRUMP KENNEDY center.

On Friday, Trump visited the Kennedy Center again, receiving the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, created ahead of next years World Cup, which will be partially hosted in the United States. The award was visible on his desk in the Oval Office on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump defended the expenses of another major project: the renovation of the White House ballroom, describing it on Truth Social as set to be much larger and more magnificent once finished.

Author: Sophia Brooks