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00:00Trump jokes that he would nominate himself for a Kennedy Center Award.
00:04President Donald Trump made history on Sunday night as the first sitting or former president to host the Kennedy Center Honors,
00:11the long-running gala celebrating major contributions to American arts and culture.
00:16Held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.,
00:20this year's event honored actor Sylvester Stallone, rock band Kiss, country legend George Strait,
00:25disco icon Gloria Gaynor, and Broadway star Michael Crawford.
00:30Trump arrived with First Lady Melania Trump in traditional black-tie attire.
00:35Throughout the evening, he mixed formal remarks with light humor,
00:38including a joke that he might nominate himself for a future honor.
00:41He also quipped that the venue could someday be called the Trump-Kennedy Center,
00:46before calling the comment terribly embarrassing, which drew laughs from the audience.
00:50During his remarks, Trump praised the ongoing renovations at the Center,
00:54noting more than $250 million raised for improvements and promising the building would be better than ever.
01:02He described the gala as the greatest evening in the history of the Kennedy Center.
01:08Trump offered individual tributes to the honorees, calling Stallone an action icon,
01:12Gaynor a voice that moved the world to dance, Crawford a Broadway great,
01:17and Kiss, one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history.
01:19He also honored late Kiss guitarist Ace Fraley, whose daughter attended the ceremony.
01:25Staying true to his signature style, Trump took light jabs at critics and Hollywood figures,
01:30including a pointed comment about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
01:34He said he personally helped choose the honorees and rejected several suggestions he considered too woke.
01:40The Kennedy Center honors have often been marked by political tension,
01:44but Trump's decision to host this year's event signaled a shift from his absence in 2017.
01:50The ceremony will air on CBS and Paramount Plus on December 23rd,
01:54which Trump predicted would reach record viewership.
01:57Honorees expressed gratitude on the red carpet, with Stallone calling the evening humbling,
02:01and Simmons noting Trump's gesture of reserving a seat in memory of Fraley.
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