Former President Donald Trump presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees on Saturday, using the occasion to praise the recipients while also taking a jab at late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Speaking during the ceremony at the Oval Office, Trump criticised Kimmel’s performance as a past Kennedy Center host.
“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.”
He also noted that no president had previously presided over the awards ceremony. “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.”
What are the Kennedy Center Honors?
The Kennedy Center Honors recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Traditionally, honorees are selected by the Kennedy Center and announced via press releases—until this year, when Trump personally unveiled the list.
On Saturday, he praised the 2025 honorees as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever, saying he was closely involved in choosing them.
“This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted, and unified millions of Americans,” Trump said, adding, “I know most of them and I’ve been a fan of all of them.”
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 said in August that he was “about 98% involved” in selecting the honorees making the 2025 class the first curated under his administration.
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