President Donald Trump personally unveiled this year’s honorees for the Kennedy Center Honors — Gene Simmons, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone — after boasting he was “about 98% involved” in the selection process and dismissing those he rejected as “too woke.”
The move broke from decades of nonpartisan committee selections, replacing them with a political litmus test.
Simmons, the KISS bassist who once called Trump a friend from his “Celebrity Apprentice” days, now says the president “allowed” people to be “publicly racist” and empowered conspiracy theorists.
“Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist … now it’s all out in the open because he allowed it,” Simmons told Spin, accusing Trump of bringing “all the cockroaches to rise to the top.” He’s also said Trump is “out for himself” and that more than 70 million Americans “bought it hook, line and sinker.”
Gaynor, best known for her 1978 anthem “I Will Survive,” built a legacy as a disco pioneer and LGBTQ+ ally. But some critics note her decision to accept the honor from a president whose record on race, gender, and equality is widely condemned will be seen by many as a desperate bid for attention — and a break from the overwhelming political stance of Black female voters.
Then there’s Stallone, a longtime Trump loyalist who’s been tapped as one of the president’s so-called Hollywood “ambassadors.”
Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center began with the announcement he was taking over as chair of the board, followed by his decision to oust Deborah Rutter, the long-serving president.
Rutter has accused the new leadership of making “false allegations” and distorting audited financial records.
Under Trump’s watch, artist boycotts have multiplied, with cancellations from major names and productions, including “Hamilton.”
Simmons once warned, “When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives.”
