Tom Cruise would have refused the Kennedy Center Honors award offered by Donald Trump, in a context marked by political controversies and the direct involvement of the president in the selection of the laureates.
Tom Cruise has announced that he cannot be present at the gala organized by Donald Trump. Photo: Shutterstock
Actor Tom Cruise will not participate in the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony this year, where he should have been honored for his entire career, along with Sylvester Stallone, Rock Kiss band and singer Gloria Gaynor.
According to The Washington Post, Tom Cruise invoked a “program mismatch” as a reason for refusal, but sources inside the Kennedy center suggest that the decision could have other reasons, given that the actor will be present in November to receive an honorary Oscar.
Donald Trump has selected the winners personally
Donald Trump, as a new president of Kennedy Center, personally announced in a press conference on Wednesday, August 13th.
If in his first term he did not participate in the awards, Donald Trump said that this time not only will be the host of the December event, but also that he was involved in the selection process, explaining that he “rejected many” candidates for their political orientation.
“They were too woke. I had a few activists,” Donald Trump said about the candidates rejected.
He also acknowledged that he waited to receive the prize himself, stating: “I waited and waited and said,” Damn it, I will become president and give myself my honor. “
Tom Cruise avoided any comment about Trump and his policy
While promoting the movie “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” in South Korea, Cruise avoided commenting on Trump’s policies. When a reporter asked about the rates imposed on film productions, the actor said: “We prefer to answer questions about the movie. Thank you.”
This reluctance suggests that the prize refusal could be related to avoiding involvement in the political controversy.
Reactions and controversies in the public environment
The choice of Giloria Gaynor as a laureate has sparked criticism from some media personalities, including Ana Navarro, presenter at The View. She said she hopes that the artist will refuse the prize, explaining: “Trump is a stain on the prestige and the meaning of kch. He does not, Gloria!”
Ana Navarro emphasized the contribution of the LGBTQ community and Gaynor’s music to transforming the song “I Will Survice” into an anthem and believes that the association in any form with Donald Trump, known for his harsh position, which he calls “Woke”, will affect the artist’s image.
Reorganization Kennedy Center and Culture Alignment to Trump’s policy
This year, Donald Trump reformed the leadership of the Kennedy Center, holidays to several members of the council and replacing them with political supporters.
This week, the White House sent a letter to the secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, Lonnie Bunch III, in which he presented in detail the measures that the organization is expected to take in an announced review, by which the cultural institutions are obliged to align their content to Trump’s interpretation.
The investigation will analyze all the contents intended for the public, such as social networks, texts of exhibitions and educational materials, to “evaluate the tone, the historical framework and the alignment with the American ideals”, according to the letter.
“This initiative aims to ensure the alignment with the President’s Directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, to eliminate narratives that create divisions or are partisan and to restore confidence in our common cultural institutions.” transmitted the Trump administration
