Free Republic

President Trump is skipping this year’s Kennedy Center honors after backlash from the honorees. Three of this year’s five award winners, including television icon Norman Lear, singer Lionel Richie and dancer Carmen de Lavallade, vowed to boycott the annual White House reception. Of the remaining honorees, Queens native and rapper LL Cool J hasn’t commented on whether he would attend, and singer Gloria Estefan pledged to use the event as an opportunity to influence Trump on immigration issues.

Lionel Richie said on Tuesday’s “Today” show that he is unsure he will attend Donald Trump’s reception for the Kennedy Center Honors.... ...Hoda Kotb asked Richie about his own plans during a live interview on “Today.” He responded, “I’m going to just play it by ear. I must tell you, I’m not really happy as to what’s going on right now with the controversies. They’re weekly, daily, hourly. But I think I’m just gonna wait it out for a minute, see where it’s going to be by that time.” “This is going to be in December,” Richie stressed. “We may...

The recipients of the first Kennedy Center Honors in 1978 were beyond stellar. They were legends, household names and artists with enormous influence and still unfolding historical impact. Marian Anderson’s 1939 performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial was a powerful and dignified early step on the march to African American civil rights; George Balanchine was the most important choreographer working in the United States, with an unparalleled legacy of work; Richard Rodgers wrote every beloved song that George Gershwin didn’t; prominent ballet stars have called Fred Astaire the greatest dancer of the century; and Arthur Rubenstein defined the...