On December 7, 2025, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., marking Trump’s first appearance at the event as President after skipping it during his 2017-2021 term. Melania stunned in her gorgeous outfit for the event.
For reference, President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to host the 48th Kennedy Center Honors, a marked shift from boycotting the event during his first term. He praised honorees Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Kiss, and Michael Crawford as “among the greatest artists… ever,” emphasizing “persistence.”
The president also sits as the head of the board of the Kennedy Center, which the board recently voted to rename the “Trump-Kennedy Center” in honor of the president, saying he deserves the honorific because he has worked so hard to clean up what had been becoming a very ratty and unpleasant center for the arts.
In any case, the gala, which was broadcast on CBS, celebrated honorees in the performing arts, including Gloria Gaynor. Melania, in a black Givenchy gown, was lauded for her chic style as the couple walked the red carpet hand in hand. The event highlighted American culture, with Trump hosting and joking about renaming the center. Social media buzzed with praise for Melania’s elegance and timeless beauty.
Reacting to a clip of the presidential couple that showed Melania looking absolutely stunningly beautiful, one commentator said, “@flotus Melania Trump was beautiful and stunning at The Kennedy Center, and classy as always. Best First Lady of All Time!”
In the comments under the post, users were blown away by their elegance. “She classy in every way Hillary, Michelle or Jill could EVER be!,” one commentor noted. Agreeing, another said, “Melania Trump is the most graceful First Lady. Effortless class in every way.”
Watch the clip here:
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Beginning his comments during the event, the President said, “These are incredible people — among the greatest artists and actors, performers, musicians, singers and songwriters ever to walk the face of the Earth… billions and billions of people have watched them over the years.”
Continuing his remarks, the President noted, “If there is one thread that connects all of these amazing artists together, it is the word ‘persistence’… Many of you are miserable, horrible people. But you are persistent, you never give up. Sometimes I wish you’d give up, but you don’t.”
Reacting to the honorific, Gene Simmons of Kiss expressed his gratitude. “Whether you’re a fan of the President or not, he’s never boring… The worst thing is to have some bloated person get up there and make long speeches. No matter what he does, this President’s going to be entertaining,” the rockstar noted.
Offering more context, President Trump said, “I didn’t really prepare very much… I read a little bit. I have a good memory,” to describe the preparations for his speech, and while describing his decisions to host the event, he quipped that he would get “much higher ratings” than previous hosts.
Likewise, country star Garth Brooks said, “You take the stage in front of people you don’t know. You bare your soul, not knowing what you’re going to get back. That takes courage, people… Now try that in six-inch platform shoes.” Additionally, he assured the crowd that he was the correct announcer, joking, “I see some faces of confusion,” after beginning his comments.
Featured image from embedded video