Norman Lear Will Not Attend Kennedy Center Honors Pre-Party Because Of President Trump
Norman Lear is one of the 2017 Kennedy Center Honorees, but he won’t be attending the pre-ceremony party hosted by Donald and Melania Trump because of Trump’s treatment of the arts and his call to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts. Lear, 95, says he is open to changing his mind if Trump changes his mind about the arts and humanities. During the 2016 presidential election, Norman Lear opposed Trump and likened him to his fictional, bigoted character Archie Bunker.
It’s hardly a shock that Norman Lear, a member of the Hollywood community, is not a Trump supporter. The majority of the entertainment community supported either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, and many were very vocal on Twitter. For example, Debra Messing, best known for Will and Grace, and Susan Sarandon shared their feelings on Twitter about the election and the candidates they supported. Messing was a supporter of Clinton, where Sarandon was a firm Bernie Sanders follower. Though Sarandon did not want to see Clinton as president, she joked on Twitter about supporting Donald Trump.
“Some people feel that Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately if he gets in, things will really explode.”
Many people took Sarandon seriously, but she cleared things up saying that she could never support Donald Trump.
Norman Lear explained when he learned that he was being honored by the Kennedy Center (the Trump administration has nothing to do with selecting the honorees) that he had to let the committee know exactly how he feels before accepting. Lear said it was Deborah Rutter from the Kennedy Center who called him, and she understood his feelings about support for the arts.
“Feelings don’t go away, thoughts and opinions don’t vanish. I heard [about the honor] and they understood exactly how I felt.”
In addition to Norman Lear, Gloria Estefan, LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, and Carmen de Lavallade will all be honored on the same evening. All of the others plan to attend the pre-party, and Gloria Estefan, who has spoken out against Donald Trump, says she will take the opportunity to speak to Trump. Gloria Estefan was born in Cuba.
“We have seen a lot of anti-immigrant backlash this year, so for us, it may hold even more beauty than for someone who has lived here all their lives. To get this kind of award is so American.”
When Lear was asked what he would say if he finds himself face to face with Donald Trump, he says he’s not sure.
“I have no idea. I am too much in the moment for the ceremony.”
But Norman Lear is firm that he will not attend the pre-party unless there are huge changes, but he is still thrilled to be honored by the Kennedy Center. But Lear says it’s ironic that Trump reminds him of Archie Bunker, a “loud-mouth bigoted character” he created.
“I think Donald Trump is shrewd in a way Archie never was. Archie Bunker was far wiser of heart. Sure, the thoughts he held were antediluvian. But Donald Trump is a thorough fool, having nothing to do with the shrewdness that has allowed him to cheat and steal the way he has for his own good. Underneath that, he is a fool.”
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Lear says he doesn’t think being anti-Trump should be a Democrat or Republican thing.
“Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, can we all seriously agree this is bad for America?”
Do you support Norman Lear in skipping the Trump hosted pre-party for the Kennedy Center Honors?
[Featured Image by Jerod Harris/Getty Images]
