EXCLUSIVE: Trump-led Kennedy Center nearly doubles fundraising from Biden era, smashing record with $23M haul
EXCLUSIVE: The Kennedy Center Honors has raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year under President Biden, as President Donald...
By Fox News · Fox News
EXCLUSIVE: The Kennedy Center Honors has raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year under President Biden, as President Donald Trump begins his tenure as chairman of the Kennedy Center, Fox News Digital has learned. According to the Kennedy Center, the $23 million total marks the largest fundraising haul in the 48-year history of the Honors, which was launched in 1978 as the institution’s highest recognition of lifetime artistic achievement. While Kennedy Center Honorees have visited the Oval Office privately in past years, Trump on Saturday hosted the first official, on-camera ceremony recognizing the recipients inside the Oval Office, introducing each honoree ahead of Sunday night’s gala. Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told Fox News Digital that the center "nearly doubled last year’s fundraising, reaching a historic $23 million dollars," calling the Honors "one of our nation’s highest celebrations of the performing arts." Trump’s expanded role as chairman and his direct involvement in the weekend’s events, officials say, have contributed to what they describe as "intense interest and momentum" around the program. TRUMP TOUTS 2026 WORLD CUP DRAW SUCCESS, CLAIMS MASSIVE VIEWERSHIP Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital the new benchmark reflects unprecedented donor enthusiasm. "The record-breaking $23 million in contributions to the Kennedy Center Honors is a testament to the extraordinary support for our mission and affirms a vibrant future for this beloved American institution," she said. During Saturday evening’s Oval Office ceremony, a first in Honors history, Trump personally introduced each of the 2025 honorees. "Great honor," he began. "And I'm delighted to welcome to the Oval Office… our truly exceptional 2025 Kennedy Center honorees." He went on to call the group "perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Cen…