In a move that has sparked debate across Washington, D.C., homeless encampments were cleared along President Donald Trum

Jeffrey Finn, a Broadway producer who has overseen theater programming at the Washington venue since 2016, will leave next month.

The movie icon reportedly turned down an award from the Kennedy Center, which would have been presented to him by President Trump.

Tom Cruise Declined a Kennedy Center Honor and Fans Are Divided originally appeared on Parade. Sylvester Stallone, glam rock band Kiss, country legend George Strait, Broadway star Michael Crawford and iconic singer Gloria Gaynor were all recipients of 2025’s Kennedy Center Honors, but one blockbuster actor turned the offer down.

The Kennedy Center can’t include new memorials or plaques — for donors or presidents — under U.S. law. Republicans would need to change that to rename it for the Trumps.

The NewsNight panel was supposed to debate whether the Kennedy Center’s new direction signaled a shift in America’s cultural identity.

The Kennedy Center Honors have long been one of the most prestigious awards in American arts, but the institution has faced periodic criticism and political turbulence throughout its history.Diversity ConcernsAdvocates have,

I haven’t really followed the controversies over what’s going on at the Smithsonian or Kennedy Center, so I don’t pretend to be an authority on either. If you know less than I do, here’s a quick update on the