Donald Trump announced the list of this year’s Kennedy Center Honorees on Wednesday, the first since he took control of the institution, while he said that he will host the event.
The honorees this year include George Strait, Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone.
By making the announcement of honorees himself, Trump is taking on the role of producer/showman, elevating the attention to the show, which has been aired on CBS since its origin yet is hardly a ratings blockbuster. His announcement drew coverage across major cable news channels. In the past, the Kennedy Center and CBS have announced the honorees via press release, embargoed to some outlets.
Trump has previous bashed the selections as including “radical left lunatics,” but the center has honored country music performers,