“I Will Survive” Singer Gloria Gaynor To Receive Kennedy Center Honors From President Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will host this year’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony after announcing a lineup of honorees he approved as part of his effort to remake cultural institutions he has deemed too liberal. Trump, who installed himself as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in February, tapped “I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor, action movie star Sylvester Stallone, country singer George Strait, and rock band KISS for one of the highest accolades in American culture. English stage actor Michael Crawford, who originated the lead role in musical “The Phantom of the Opera,” will also receive the honor meant for lifetime achievements in the performing arts. Trump said he rejected some candidates he considered “too woke,” invoking a term sometimes used as a pejorative for anyone who appears politically left-leaning on race, gender and sexuality.