Donald Trump hosted the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in a black tuxedo, trying to look his best. But what caught viewers’ attention was how stressed he looked on the red carpet. He attended the event with his wife, Melania Trump.
The event was all about honoring artists and their lifetime contributions to American culture. Many Hollywood celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, and George Strait were present at the ceremony.
Trump’s speech was stressful for the viewers to watch as they sensed some tension. Whether Trump was tired or it was another health issue, he could not convince fans with his hosting skills.
On the red carpet, the 79-year-old said, “Well, we have great honorees. This is a group that is very unique. Over the years, I’ve been watching, and you’ve had some wonderful honorees, but I think this is really, very much unparalleled.”
.@POTUS opens the 48th Trump Kennedy Center Honors: “Welcome to a very special evening… this is our nation’s highest recognition for lifetime achievement in the performing arts, and each of the incredible 2025 @kencen honorees has earned the distinction many, many times over.” pic.twitter.com/kpdvWlhBaG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 24, 2025
He shared how excited he was to be the chairman. MAGA went gaga with Trump’s hosting skills. One supporter posted on X, “EPIC! The man is in his ELEMENT TONIGHT!” He called it an incredible moment.
Another one added, “Hardest working man I ever saw.” Meanwhile, many viewers were not thrilled by his speech. One user commented, “He seems stressed. I wonder what made him so down.” Another one pointed out, “Nation’s highest recognition for the arts, hosted by a man who thinks ‘art” is a gold-plated toilet and a $257M renovation bill.” One user joked, “I’m going to go get an extra root canal rather than watch this.”
Reviews of Trump’s performance as host of the Kennedy Center Honors Tuesday night have started coming in… pic.twitter.com/DgGoiCbuhp
— Bruce Museman (@BMuseman) December 24, 2025
One major reason that Trump was stressed may be a lawsuit from Kennedy Center trustee Joyce Beatty. She has accused the president of renaming the John F. Kennedy Center without Congress’s approval. Beatty alleged that the move was done for “Trump’s vanity.” She shares the sentiments with the Kennedy family, who have also criticized the name change.
The National Cultural Center was renamed the John F. Kennedy Center after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Center’s president Richard Grenell has argued that changing the name shows bipartisan space and that the name could be changed.
