When President Trump was criticized by several artists recognized in the annual Kennedy Center Honorary Program during his first term, he boycotted the show to deal with decades of precedent and brokenness.
Now, as he leads a drastic acquisition of the Kennedy Center in his second term, Trump is hoping for changes that could cause a major shaking in the selection of winners, according to two people who were described on the issue that was granted anonymity.
Trump, now chairman of the Kennedy Center, will speak at the meeting Monday afternoon when changes to the Honorary Advisory Committee are changed to the agenda Monday afternoon, according to a copy of the agenda obtained by the New York Times.
Since 1978, the Kennedy Center has nominated the annual Honorary Award for star-studded TV Galas without interference from the White House. The center honored a wide range of artists and performers, including Lucille Ball, Dolly Parton, Clint Eastwood, Fred Astaire and the Grateful Dead.
But Trump is looking for a more direct role. He replaced all Biden appointees of the Center's former two-party committee, and established the loyal Richard Grenell as president, who was elected chairman. The board is scheduled to meet Monday to allow Trump to have more control over his award winner's choices.
The resolution states that, according to a copy obtained by The Times, members of the committee responsible for the selection of recipients shall be “appointed by the chairman of the board and serve at the pleasure of the chairman.” This will mean Trump will hire and fire people to help him decide who will receive the honor. The committee recommends the Kennedy Center president to slate the recipients for approval, the resolution said.
In the past, Kennedy Center officials have selected committee members responsible for proposing award recipients after receiving recommendations from former recipients, boards, arts community and the general public. Last year, the committee was chaired by philanthropist David C. Bonnett and included board members, Kennedy Center officials, and artists such as Gloria Estefan, Sallyfield, Rene Fleming, Herbie Hancock, Judith Jamison, Lionel Richie and John Williams.
It's not clear what Trump has in mind for the committee, or what kind of artists he wants to admire at the Kennedy Center. Since the start of his second term, he has served as a Hollywood envoy, with stares like Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and John Voight.
The Kennedy Center declined to discuss any future board meetings or resolutions that change the honorary process.
“Because the Kennedy Center's financial situation has been a serious issue that has been hidden from the public for so long, Donald Trump is committed to bringing the Kennedy Center to a solid financial foundation by programming that is attractive to everyone, not just a few,” Grenell said in a statement.
White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday afternoon.
Trump has a history of honors and stormy history of the Kennedy Center, the most important fundraiser of the year, aired on CBS and includes a White House reception before the awards. Several artists who were recognized early in the first Trump administration in 2017 criticized Trump and proposed boycotting the White House reception. Trump then violated tradition and left the glass of honor for his entire term.
At the start of his second term, Trump again set his sights on the Kennedy Center. He kicked out the Center's longtime chairman, Finance's David M. Reubenstein, the Center's biggest donor, and fired Deborah F. Lutter, the Center's president for over a decade.
Trump's push to expand his influence on the Honors program is part of a broader campaign to reconstruct the Kennedy Center's cultural identity. Promising a “golden age of art and culture,” Trump vowed to remove the centre of “wake” influences, drug shows and “anti-American propaganda.” He has appointed close allies to the board, including his Chief of Staff Susie Wills. Lowline Graham, host of Fox News. and Dan Scavino, a longtime aide.
Trump's plans for the Center are still in shape, but Grenell, a former German ambassador who serves as the Center's interim president, said the Center will host “a great, massive celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas.”
Trump's actions prompted protests from Kennedy Center artists and patrons. Several prominent figures, including actress Issa Ray and musician Rhineon Giddens, cancelled engagement at the center in protest. The musical Hamilton recently discontinued its planned tour next year.
Vice President J.D. V. Vance and the second woman who Trump also appointed to the board, Usha Vance, were booed loudly on Thursday while attending the concert by the National Symphony Orchestra, one of the Center's flagship ensembles.
