Washington — U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday named “Rocky” star Sylvester Stallone and country music great George Strait among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, as he pursues a controversial overhaul of the storied arts venue.

Since returning to office in January, the Republican leader has declared war on what he calls “woke” viewpoints espoused in the nation’s cultural institutions, including a fresh probe of content at several Smithsonian museums.

The Kennedy Center, a living monument to the late John F. Kennedy that opened in 1971, has long enjoyed bipartisan support but has been in the president’s crosshairs, and he appointed himself board chairman in February.

“We have completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution,” Trump told reporters

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