Politics - News Analysis

Cowardly Trump Is Skipping The Kennedy Honors Again Because Vocal Critic Cher Is Being Honored

For the second straight year, Donald Trump will not be attending the Kennedy Center Honors celebrating cultural achievement.

Neither Trump nor first lady Melania Trump will be at the Dec. 2 event, according to Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s director of communications. On Tuesday, Grisham also told The Associated Press that it was “not likely” any new winners of the National Medal of Arts or National Humanities Medal would be announced before the end of the year. No arts or humanities medals have been handed out since September 2016, when Barack Obama was president.

Grisham did not immediately provide a reason for the Trumps skipping the Kennedy Center ceremonies. This year’s honorees include Cher and “Hamilton” playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, both of whom have sharply criticized Trump.

Last year, the Trumps opted out of attending the prestigious awards gala after several entertainers — including TV legend Norman Lear and dancer Carmen de Lavallade — said they would avoid a White House reception traditionally held before the event in protest of the president.

“The president and first lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction,” a statement at the time from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. The reception also didn’t take place.

Cher has blasted Trump as a “f—ing traitor” and has said she wished he would “fall off the face of the Earth.”

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has also criticized the Trump administration’s response in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria last year. After Trump attacked Puerto Rican officials, Miranda replied that the president was “going straight to hell.”

Reba McEntire, jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter and composer Philip Glass will also be honored at next month’s ceremony in Washington.

Let’s just say Cher is pretty thrilled Trump won’t be attending:

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