Trump Honors the 2025 Kennedy Center Recipients With a Newly-Designed Medallion – RedState
On Saturday, President Donald Trump and the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees met in the Oval Office to receive their medallions. As RedState reported in August, actor/writer/producer Sylvester Stallone, R&B artist Gloria Gaynor, country music icon George Strait, ’70s rock band KISS and British actor-singer Michael Crawford were this year’s recipients and the first to receive medallions with the new design designed and gifted by Tiffany & Co.
President Donald J. Trump presents medallions to the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/06IRlZUvpV
– The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 7, 2025
Learn more: Trump announces hard rockers, hard-hitting actor and country music legend among Kennedy Center honorees
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The Kennedy Center website detailed details of the design.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that the Kennedy Center Honors medallions have been reimagined and gifted by Tiffany & Co. As America’s premier fine jewelry house, Tiffany and Co. has played an instrumental role in American luxury culture for nearly two centuries, making it the ideal collaborator to design the Honors medallion. The all-new medallion features a gold disc engraved on one side with a depiction of the Kenndy Center. The building is flanked by rainbow colors representing the breadth of arts celebrated when receiving the award. The reverse side bears the honorees’ names in script above the date of the medallion ceremony, December 6, 2025. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon, a color associated with dignity and tradition.
This evening, @POTUS will present medallions to this year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients – with a much sleeker new design, created and donated by Tiffany & Co. (left)
A MASSIVE upgrade from the tacky rainbow belt design of medallions past (right). pic.twitter.com/LcCF2DEJLu
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 6, 2025
President Trump recognized Tiffany & Co.’s contribution and thanked them as “longtime friends.”
WATCH:
.@POTUS: “In just a few moments, we will present these stars with their Kennedy Center Honors medallions, which were redesigned this year with the help of the fantastic team at Tiffany and Company, and I want to congratulate them. They have done a fantastic job.” https://t.co/HoTgnumAed pic.twitter.com/x5hpPybeJn
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 6, 2025
During each presentation of the winners, President Trump shared a personal anecdote. He teased country star George Strait about whether the medal could fit his classic cowboy hat. Strait chose to remove his hat to accept the award, and Trump jokingly noted that he still had most of his hair. The daughter of late KISS band member Ace Frehley appeared with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss to receive the medallion in her honor.
WATCH:
.@POTUS presents medallions to the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients: George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, Sylvester Stallone and Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley (accepted by his daughter). pic.twitter.com/T7Z8A1R36M
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 6, 2025
President Donald Trump presented Saturday the 2025 Kennedy Center Laureates with their medals in a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the list of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled.
This year’s winners are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
Trump said it was a group of “incredible people” who represented “the best of American art and culture” and that “I know most of them and have been fans of all of them.”
“This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,” Trump said in a tuxedo. “This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.”
Trump also discussed his role as host of the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors program, which will air on CBS and via Paramount+ on December 23. Trump acknowledged that he would be the first president to host the program and used the opportunity to take an interest in late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
WATCH:
.@POTUS on hosting tomorrow’s 48th Kennedy Center Honors: “We’ve never had a president host the awards show before. This is a first. I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews… If I can’t beat Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Gsfrmc3py1
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 6, 2025
According to a Fox News exclusive, the Kennedy Center has doubled its fundraising since Trump’s unprecedented rise to the nonprofit’s presidency, nearly doubling the contributions collected under the Biden administration. Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center, said the haul reflects “unprecedented enthusiasm from donors.” Ric Grenell, ambassador to Germany and DNI during Trump’s first term, took the reins of the presidency and praised the transformation the center underwent under Trump’s second term.
The Kennedy Center Honors raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly double the $12.7 million raised last year under President Biden, as President Donald Trump begins his term as president of the Kennedy Center, Fox News Digital has learned.
According to the Kennedy Center, the $23 million total is the largest fundraiser in the 48-year history of the Honors, launched in 1978 as the institution’s highest recognition of lifetime artistic achievement.
While Kennedy Center honorees have visited the Oval Office privately in recent years, Trump held the first official ceremony Saturday, on camera, recognizing the recipients inside the Oval Office, introducing each honoree before Sunday evening’s gala.
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told Fox News Digital that the center “nearly doubled last year’s fundraising, reaching a historic $23 million,” calling the honors “one of our nation’s largest celebrations of the performing arts.”
Despite this progress, Democrats and the left continue to crumble over Trump’s undue influence in this so-called bipartisan organization, claiming that Trump’s Kennedy Center is “showier, emptier and more political.” As with everything about this administration, Trump remains unflappable and forward-thinking. His goal: “Return the Kennedy Center to greatness.”
WATCH:
Trump promises to make the Kennedy Center great again: it has been mistreated – just like the White House!
“[Kennedy Center’s] been tired. He was mistreated. Kind of like the White House was mistreated to be honest with you. We’re taking it to a level I don’t know… https://t.co/zy3rPltSXq pic.twitter.com/e07F8RdPUh
– Mr. Producer (@RichSementa) December 6, 2025
Trump promises to make the Kennedy Center great again: it has been mistreated – just like the White House!
“[Kennedy Center’s] been tired. He was mistreated. Kind of like the White House was mistreated to be honest with you. We’re taking it to a level that I don’t think any place in the country will ever experience. »
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to distract, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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