President Trump Visits Kennedy Center (Washington AP=Yonhap News) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Kennedy Center, a representative performing arts venue in Washington D.C., on the 13th (local time). 2025.8.13

U.S. President Donald Trump continued his efforts on the 13th (local time) to bring about a sweeping transformation in Washington D.C., the nation's capital, which he views as having a strong left-leaning character, according to his vision.

On this day, President Trump visited the Kennedy Center, a landmark and premier performing arts venue in Washington D.C., to announce the recipients of the 'Kennedy Center Honors,' whose awards ceremony will be held later this year.

The award, named after former President John F. Kennedy and established in 1978, is a highly prestigious honor that celebrates America's leading cultural and artistic figures.

President Trump announced country music singer-songwriter George Strait, actor Michael Crawford (known for his role in 'The Phantom of the Opera'), film actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor (famous for 'I Will Survive'), and rock band KISS as this year's recipients.

President Trump's announcement of the recipients is seen as a symbolic act demonstrating his intention to gain influence over Washington D.C.'s cultural and artistic circles, a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

Since taking office, President Trump has replaced the Kennedy Center's board of directors with pro-Trump individuals as part of his 'culture war' against the progressive camp and appointed himself chairman of the center in February.

He has criticized the Kennedy Center for promoting agendas of the left-wing faction that he believes are distant from American values.

His efforts have not stopped at controlling the Kennedy Center; he has also pressured museums and art galleries under the Smithsonian Institution to exhibit displays that portray American history in a solely positive light.

Media outlets have commented that while President Trump largely did not interfere with Washington D.C.'s cultural and artistic institutions during his first term, he is now attempting to exert influence across the entire city.

President Trump Visits Kennedy Center (Washington EPA=Yonhap News) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Kennedy Center, a representative performing arts venue in Washington D.C., on the 13th (local time). 2025.8.13

In the first year of his first term, 2017, some recipients of the 'Kennedy Center Honors' boycotted the awards ceremony in protest of President Trump, leading him to not attend the ceremony for his entire four-year term.

AP reported that prior to this, presidents, regardless of their political party, had attended the awards ceremony.

However, this time, President Trump stated that he would host the awards ceremony himself and indicated his intention to become more involved in the Kennedy Center's operations.

On this day, President Trump announced that, at his request, the Republican Party had allocated $250 million (approximately 340 billion won) in the 'One Nation Under God Act' for the Kennedy Center, and that he would use these funds to "completely renovate" the center.

"I am determined to make Washington D.C. safe, clean, and beautiful again," he said. "A big part of that will include the Kennedy Center."

He also attacked the Democratic Party, claiming that the nation's capital, which should be a source of pride, has become a mess due to their mismanagement.

On the 11th, he declared a state of emergency, citing uncontrollable crime in Washington D.C., and deployed the National Guard to the city for security purposes, placing the city's police under federal government control.

President Trump stated, "The Democrats are already saying, 'He (Trump) is a dictator.' This place is falling into disarray, and we have to stop it. Instead of saying, 'He is a dictator,' the Democrats should say, 'We will work with him to make Washington D.C. safe.'"

Yonhap News