Trump Announced 5 Kennedy Center Honorees, And Some Of These Picks Are Kind Of Shocking

Trump complained during a March visit that the building is in a state of “tremendous disrepair.”

Trump, who had indicated he wanted a more active role in the selection process, said he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the honorees. He said he “turned down plenty” of names, saying those individuals were “too woke,” or too liberal. He described the artists he announced on Wednesday, including several of his favorites, as “great people.”

Historically, a bipartisan advisory committee selects the recipients, who over the years have ranged from George Balanchine and Tom Hanks to Aretha Franklin and Stephen Sondheim. A message sent to the Kennedy Center press office asking how this year’s honorees were selected wasn’t returned Tuesday.