Trump Predicts 'Highest-Rated' Kennedy Center Honors as He Becomes First President to Host Ceremony

Sylvester Stallone, KISS, George Strait, and Gloria Gaynor lead the list of luminaries being celebrated at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, but all eyes may also be on the host: President Donald Trump, who is set to take the stage in a role traditionally filled by journalists and entertainers — not heads of state.

For the first time in the ceremony’s history, a president will formally host the annual cultural event. Trump announced in August that he had agreed to take on the role and reiterated over the weekend that the decision came “at the request of a certain television network.”

Speaking Saturday at the State Department dinner honoring this year’s recipients, Trump predicted that the Dec. 23 broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ would break ratings records.

“It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: This will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done,” Trump said, adding that past ceremonies had drawn “pretty good ratings,” but “there’s nothing like what’s going to happen” on Sunday night.

The president’s appearance marks a sharp departure from precedent. Past hosts have included Walter Cronkite, Caroline Kennedy, and comedian — and frequent Trump critic — Stephen Colbert. Historically, presidents have attended the ceremony alongside the honorees rather than preside over it. During his first term, Trump skipped the event altogether amid tensions with several honorees who publicly declined to participate if he attended.

This year’s ceremony will honor figures across music, film, and culture, including Stallone, Strait, KISS, and Gaynor. The 2024 edition, featuring Queen Latifah, Barry Gibb, Billy Crystal and others, drew strong holiday viewership for CBS — but Trump believes his presence will push the telecast to new heights.

The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony airs December 23 on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

The Kennedy Center, which operates as a national cultural institution supported by both public funding and private donations, has faced criticism and political scrutiny since Trump’s appointment. The President previously said that he plans to eliminate drag shows and “woke” art at the venue, though admitted he has never actually seen a show at the institution. Shows have been cancelled, including the production “Finn” and the award-winning “Hamilton.” “Legally Blonde” has also been postponed.

Additionally, longtime member Jeffrey Finn, who has overseen programming at the Washington, D.C. venue since 2016, announced his departure from the venue earlier this year. This was the latest departure at the Kennedy Center after Trump took-over the venue, installed himself as chairman of the board, and replaced Rutter with loyalist Richard Grenell as president.

Since Trump’s new appointees, ticket sales at the Kennedy Center have dropped sharply this fall, with a new Washington Post analysis showing that the venue sold only 57% of its available tickets since September — a steep decline from 93% during the same period last year.

The report points to a roughly 40% drop in seats sold and a 50% decline in total revenue since Trump was appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board earlier this year. Out of 143,000 available seats, about 53,000 went unsold — and some of those tickets were reportedly given away as complimentary “comps.”