Trump, first lady will not attend Kennedy Center Honors: White House

[rooster59]

Trump, first lady will not attend Kennedy Center Honors: White House

By Jonathan Landay

 

U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he and First Lady Melania Trump depart from the white house on route to Ohio, in Washington, U.S., July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will not attend the Kennedy Center Honors in December, the White House announced on Saturday, after several honorees said they would boycott a White House reception before the show.

 

The Kennedy Center also said in a statement the White House reception "will no longer take place."

 

The White House said the president and first lady would not take part in the Kennedy Center Honors "to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction."

 

The announcement came after television producer Norman Lear, singer Lionel Richie and dancer Carmen de Lavallade said they would not attend the White House reception that was set to take place prior to the Dec. 3 annual gala event. The other honorees are singer Gloria Estefan and rapper LL Cool J.

 

The awards are presented each year in December to recognize honorees for their lifetime contributions to the arts.

 

All five honorees are expected to attend a Dec. 2 dinner and awards ceremony at the State Department, the Kennedy Center's chairman, David Rubenstein, and its president, Deborah Rutter, in a statement.

 

The Kennedy Center "respects" the decision made by the Trumps, they said.

 

"In choosing not to participate in this year's Honors activities, the administration graciously signaled its respect for the Kennedy Center and ensures the Honors gala remains a deservingly special moment for the honorees," Rubenstein and Rutter said.

 

De Lavallade, an African-American actress, dancer and choreographer, said in a statement on her website that she was honored to receive the award and would attend the show.

 

But, she said that she would not go to the White House "in light of the socially divisive and morally caustic narrative that our existing leadership is choosing to engage in."

 

Her comments come after the president blamed "both sides" for violence that erupted last week between counter-demonstrators and neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and white nationalists holding a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va.

 

Trump's comments prompted a slew of resignations from presidential councils, including all 17 members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

 

In a New York Times article on Aug. 3, Lear was quoted as saying that he would forgo the White House reception because, "This is a presidency that has chosen to neglect totally the arts and humanities — deliberately defund them — and that doesn’t rest pleasantly with me."

 

The Kennedy Center Honors is the second annual Washington event that Trump decided not to attend.

 

The president, who called the U.S. news media as "enemies of the American people," also withdrew from the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-20

[darksidedog]

I think that now confirms the fact that Americans are waking up to the fact that their president is toxic.

[mogandave]

He knows he would be booed...

Impeach 45 now!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[stevenl]

Melanie must be disappointed.

[Credo]

He won't go anywhere that he is not the complete and total center of attention.   He is a textbook narcissist and the idea of someone else getting any honors or accolades is unconscionable. 

[rijb]

Dear Lord is it time to impeach?  Give us a sign.  Blot out the sun.  -  outdoor sign

[boomerangutang]

Same reason he wouldn't go to the WH Press gala nor throw out the first pitch at the baseball game.

 

He knows he will be heartily booed by Americans - if he ever goes to a venue which isn't packed with his hand-picked redneck supporters.

[spidermike007]

The White House said the president and first lady would not take part in the Kennedy Center Honors "to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction."

 

More fake news coming from this very white house, and the deflector in chief. The primary reason he is not going, is the absolutely pathological distaste, for a lack of obedience, on the part of his subjects. He knows he would encounter alot of antagonism, and he simply will do anything in his power, to avoid being in room full of people, who do not like him. His adolescent mind craves adulation, cheers, approval and a loving audience. He specifically sets up rallies, and speeches in the most favorable of venues, and really goes out of his way to avoid protestors.

 

The problem with this behavior, is that the more inane, silly, ridiculous, non-presidential, petty, vengeful, hateful, and racist he appears to be, as time goes on, the more toxic he becomes. He is not changing. It is just that who he really is, is becoming more apparent by the day. He has always been a hateful racist. He has always been a vengeful misogynist. That is who he is. It is just being revealed to us, as the layers of this poisonous onion are being peeled off. There is so much more to be revealed about this guy. My guess is that all of the stories about the Russian orgies, and Orgy Island, with Jeffrey Epstein, and the stories of sex with underage girls aboard Epsteins jet, with Trump on board, are all true. He is a freak. It is just that alot of people just do not know the full extent of it yet, and alot of his supporters were willing to go along with all of that, as they despised Clinton, who was a horrific candidate, and a terrible choice for the dems. Tim Kaine was even worse. 

 

Things are only going downhill from here. It has become obvious, that even with a man as competent and strong as Kelly on board, nobody can control Trump, nor his staff. They are all out of control. The ship is sinking. It is fun to watch. Get used to saying President Pence.

[jobwolf]

3 hours ago, Credo said:

He won't go anywhere that he is not the complete and total center of attention.   He is a textbook narcissist and the idea of someone else getting any honors or accolades is unconscionable. 

He sure would be the center of things but not the way he likes.

 

[Mansell]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The White House said the president and first lady would not take part in the Kennedy Center Honors "to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction."

 

More fake news coming from this very white house, and the deflector in chief. The primary reason he is not going, is the absolutely pathological distaste, for a lack of obedience, on the part of his subjects. He knows he would encounter alot of antagonism, and he simply will do anything in his power, to avoid being in room full of people, who do not like him. His adolescent mind craves adulation, cheers, approval and a loving audience. He specifically sets up rallies, and speeches in the most favorable of venues, and really goes out of his way to avoid protestors.

 

The problem with this behavior, is that the more inane, silly, ridiculous, non-presidential, petty, vengeful, hateful, and racist he appears to be, as time goes on, the more toxic he becomes. He is not changing. It is just that who he really is, is becoming more apparent by the day. He has always been a hateful racist. He has always been a vengeful misogynist. That is who he is. It is just being revealed to us, as the layers of this poisonous onion are being peeled off. There is so much more to be revealed about this guy. My guess is that all of the stories about the Russian orgies, and Orgy Island, with Jeffrey Epstein, and the stories of sex with underage girls aboard Epsteins jet, with Trump on board, are all true. He is a freak. It is just that alot of people just do not know the full extent of it yet, and alot of his supporters were willing to go along with all of that, as they despised Clinton, who was a horrific candidate, and a terrible choice for the dems. Tim Kaine was even worse. 

 

Things are only going downhill from here. It has become obvious, that even with a man as competent and strong as Kelly on board, nobody can control Trump, nor his staff. They are all out of control. The ship is sinking. It is fun to watch. Get used to saying President Pence.

I always enjoy your posts......some actual thought involved.

[thaihome]

5 hours ago, stevenl said:

Melanie must be disappointed.

The invitation and subsequent decline of it came through the First Lady's office. Melania is not stupid,  she made her bargin with devil many years ago (unlike the more recent republicans). She keeps her embarrassment very privately to herself. 

 

There is no way she is attending a public affair with Donald where high profile people can boycott and the invitation list is not controlled to keep out dissent.  

TH 

Edited August 20, 2017 by thaihome

[Foozool]

Great, nobody wants them to be there. 

[boomerangutang]

He can sit in a dark lonely office and watch re-runs of redneck crowds cheering every call-to-arms he made during the campaign.  Such gems as; "maybe the 2nd amenders can take her out, I don't know." or "Get him out. Go on Get him out. Fake news."   "He should be taken out on a stretcher."  Or, when he ridiculed a disabled man.... "Uh, I don't know what I'm doing." 

[the guest]

Huge embarrassment having an idiot as President !

[Green Acres]

we're not in Kansas anymore Aunty Em....

Edited August 20, 2017 by Green Acres

[Green Acres]

If I ever meet him in person........

For Donald.avi

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, thaihome said:

The invitation and subsequent decline of it came through the First Lady's office. Melania is not stupid,  she made her bargin with devil many years ago (unlike the more recent republicans). She keeps her embarrassment very privately to herself. 

 

There is no way she is attending a public affair with Donald where high profile people can boycott and the invitation list is not controlled to keep out dissent.  

TH 

She just strikes me as a lady who would love the glamorous part of the presidency. But so far that seems to be cut short, so I think she will be disappointed with that.

[bendejo]

Why would he attend a ceremony doling out honors to anyone but himself?

Actually, it's optimistic to think he'll still be president in December.  They should have accepted, and if he is president on December 1st they could cancel out due to whatever mess he made the previous week.  Or have Putin attend in his place.

 

 

 

[Becker]

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

She just strikes me as a lady who would love the glamorous part of the presidency. But so far that seems to be cut short, so I think she will be disappointed with that.

She's a gold digger - plain and simple. There is no other reason why a young hottie would marry a fat, old pig like the man-child. Let's be honest here.

[kaorop]

30 minutes ago, Becker said:

She's a gold digger - plain and simple. There is no other reason why a young hottie would marry a fat, old pig like the man-child. Let's be honest here.

well honest is,  very few women in this world would refuse the hand of a billionaire, no matter how hot she is or how gross he is.  i'm just annoyed there arent more lady billionaires.

Edited August 20, 2017 by kaorop

[Grouse]

27 minutes ago, Becker said:

She's a gold digger - plain and simple. There is no other reason why a young hottie would marry a fat, old pig like the man-child. Let's be honest here.

No need to bring my Thai wife into this!

[bendejo]

I try to remain sympathetic to Melania, the nearest thing to a mensch in the bunch as far as I can tell.  So, she came out of the Soviet bloc (lovely environment to grow up in, no?) and used her looks and wits to advance herself.  Definitely got more than she bargained for, and if it was actually possible to die of embarrassment she'd have been buried long ago.  If she was looking for a rich gentleman she fumbled on the gentleman part. The fact that she is trying to do her own businesses shows that she knows if he divorces her or he dies she suspects she'll get squat. 

 

Hopefully I'll live to see who writes the Daddy Dearest tell-all.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2017 by bendejo

[jerojero]

I think that now confirms the fact that Americans are waking up to the fact that their president is toxic.

Toxic? You are too kind. He's a total Idiot.

[Becker]

19 hours ago, bendejo said:

I try to remain sympathetic to Melania, the nearest thing to a mensch in the bunch as far as I can tell.  So, she came out of the Soviet bloc (lovely environment to grow up in, no?) and used her looks and wits to advance herself.  Definitely got more than she bargained for, and if it was actually possible to die of embarrassment she'd have been buried long ago.  If she was looking for a rich gentleman she fumbled on the gentleman part. The fact that she is trying to do her own businesses shows that she knows if he divorces her or he dies she suspects she'll get squat. 

 

Hopefully I'll live to see who writes the Daddy Dearest tell-all.

 

 

Oh, I'm pretty sure she's barred from telling any tales by what's got to be a whopper of a prenup.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Becker

[ballpoint]

On ‎20‎/‎08‎/‎2017 at 8:27 PM, stevenl said:

She just strikes me as a lady who would love the glamorous part of the presidency. But so far that seems to be cut short, so I think she will be disappointed with that.

She's put up with a president who's cut short, so she's probably used to being disappointed.

[stevenl]

21 hours ago, Becker said:

She's a gold digger - plain and simple. There is no other reason why a young hottie would marry a fat, old pig like the man-child. Let's be honest here.

So? 

 

Does that mean you agree with my points?