Sylvester Stallone Received His Kennedy Center Honors from Trump, Who Called Him “One of the Truest, Greatest Movie Stars.”

Trump chose this year’s honors himself, then presented the award to his longtime friend and heaped praise, calling Stallone “an amazing” and “awesome,” “one of the greatest legends,” and “Hollywood’s greatest vision.”

The awards came out of the Oval Office on Saturday, not at the State Department dinner where honorees usually receive them. Trump moved the ceremony to the White House and, for the first time as president, hosted the Kennedy Center Honors program himself.

Stallone was one of five honorees, alongside Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Michael Crawford and rock band Kiss. Trump, in a tuxedo, called the group “probably the most successful and famous class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled” and said, “I know many of them and have been a fan of all of them.” Gaynor and Kiss songs were played in the Rose Garden as the media waited for the ceremony to begin.

Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, started at the top. When he started to take it off, Trump told him, “If you want to stop it, you can open it. I think we can finish it.” The Strait removed it anyway.

Trump said in August that he was “about 98% involved” in selecting the honorees, the first number appointed under his leadership after he overthrew the institute’s board and installed supporters who voted him in as chairman. The changes followed accusations by the White House that the agency had “woke up,” and prompted the withdrawal of artists and staff resignations. The board, which is full of people who have chosen, also voted to include his name in the institution, although the name of the institution is set by law; CBS is renaming this year’s broadcast “The Trump-Kennedy Center Honors” with added voiceover.

Tiffany & Co.’s new medal. it’s a gold disc emblazoned with an image of the Kennedy Center and the colors of the rainbow, hung from a navy ribbon, with each honoree’s name and the date of the event on the back. The first redesign since the honor began in 1978, it replaces the broad rainbow ribbon and gold medal recipients that were previously worn on the shoulders and chest.

The full program, featuring keynote speeches and performances, airs December 23 on CBS and Paramount+.

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