American white supremacist sympathiser Trump has pulled out of the Kennedy Center Honors presentation in December after nominated stars started to boycott the event because of him.
This year’s event will honour TV producer Norman Lear, dancer Carmen de Lavallade, music stars Lionel Richie and Gloria Estefan and actor/rapper LL Cool J.
Lear and de Lavallade were early withdrawals from the event because of Trump. Lionel Richie said he was considering backing out. LL Cool J had not confirmed his attendance at the time of Trump’s retreat while Gloria Estefan had said she would attend because she wanted to influence the President on immigration issues.
In the eight years of President Obama’s leadership, not one person boycotted the event. In the 40 years of the annual event, the only political withdrawal from an event was Mel Brooks who refused the honour while George W. Bush was in power because of his war mongering ways. Brooks finally accepted his honour in 2009, the first year President Obama was in charge. Trump was heading towards a 60% to 80% boycott in his very first year.
Trump’s confirmed no-show for the event has been explained as wanting “to allow the honorees to celebrate with any political distraction’.
The Kennedy Center Honors have been held since 1978.
The Kennedy Center Honors will be held on December 3, 2017.
