Trump awards Kennedy Center medals to Sylvester Stallone, Gene Simmons and other icons

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump, during a recent ceremony in the Oval Office, presented medals to this year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients.

Among the star-studded honorees were Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone and rock legend Gene Simmons, among others. Trump said he played a direct role in selecting the lineup.

Trump honors star-studded Kennedy Center lineup in Oval Office ceremony

On Saturday, December 6, Trump celebrated a star-studded lineup of the nation’s most “acclaimed and renowned” performers as he presented newly minted medals to this year’s Kennedy Center Honorees in the Oval Office.

The gold medallions were awarded to Academy Award–nominated Rocky actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, members of the rock band KISS, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, British actor Michael Crawford, and country music legend George Strait.

Trump boasted, “This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted, and unified millions and millions of Americans.” “This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.” 

Trump unveils new Tiffany-designed Kennedy Center medals in musical celebration

Dressed in a tuxedo, the president draped a custom Tiffany & Co medal around each honoree’s neck.

Unlike the traditional rainbow ribbon with gold plates, the medal hung from a blue ribbon, featuring the recipient’s name on one side and the Kennedy Center with rainbow colors on the other.

The same jeweler also sponsored the prestigious medallions for the event.

The Rose Garden outside the Oval Office echoed with hits like Gaynor’s 1978 anthem “I Will Survive” and KISS’s “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” along with other songs from the performers. 

Trump highlights Kennedy Center renovations and expands role in honoree selection

Trump also highlighted the ongoing renovations at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

“We are making something really special,” he said. “It’s been mistreated, a little bit like the White House has been mistreated, to be honest with you, and we are bringing it back to a level that I don’t think any place in the country will see.”

Trump, the chairman of the Kennedy Center, will host the 48th annual awards show on Sunday, joined by first lady Melania Trump. The ceremony will be broadcast later this month on CBS and Paramount+.

During his first term, the president avoided the honors after artists said they would not attend in protest.

In August, Trump said he was “heavily involved” in the selection process, personally filtering out some potential honorees, a role once handled by a bipartisan committee.