Donald Trump skipped this yearās Kennedy Center Honorsāthe fourth time a president has done so in 40 years and the first time that it didnāt involve a national emergency or conventionābut The New York Times says that his mere existence still cast a bit of a stupid shadow over the evening. Iconic TV producer Norman Lear, one of the honorees, dropped some fire regarding Trumpās absence, saying, āWe happen to have somebody in the White House who doesnāt care about the arts and humanities,ā and that he was āsmart to stay awayā since itās āsomething he does on weekend anyway.ā
Politics aside, though, this yearās Kennedy Center Honors gala was notable for a reason beyond giving some luminaries from the arts a chance to dunk on Trump in public. Specifically, LL Cool J was one of the honorees, making this the first time a rapper has been celebrated at the annual event. LL Cool J shared an Instagram post about the award, saying āwe were sent to this planet to love and inspire one another.ā
The other honorees, along with LL Cool J and Lear, were Carmen De Lavallade, Gloria Estefan, and Lionel Richie. The event will be shown on CBS on December 26.
