It was a night celebrating the arts at the 46th Kennedy Center Honors, but with the presidential election looming just weeks away, politics proved challenging to avoid.
In the nation’s capital on Sunday, a distinguished crowd from Washington gathered to honor this year’s recipients: rapper and actor Queen Latifah, comedian Billy Crystal, opera star Renée Fleming, Bee Gees singer and songwriter Barry Gibb, and singing legend Dionne Warwick.
“I had no idea you’ve done so much, and you’ve done it all in such a relatively short amount of time,” remarked Robert De Niro, one of Hollywood’s outspoken critics of former President Trump, during a tribute to Crystal.
De Niro continued, “You’re only 75,” addressing Crystal, with President Biden in the audience, and jokingly added, “that means you’re just about six years away from being the perfect age to be elected president.” (Biden is 81.)
President Biden and Jill Biden received applause for their support of the arts, acknowledged by Kennedy Center board chair David Rubenstein during the ceremony.
Biden continued the tradition of the sitting president attending the gala, in contrast to Trump, who declined to attend during his term amid criticism and boycott threats from some honorees.
At a White House reception for this year’s Honors recipients, Biden affectionately referred to Crystal as “the American showman with a heart of gold” and joked about Crystal not running against him.
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) attended the Honors for the first time, expressing his presence was primarily to honor Billy Crystal, citing Crystal’s Broadway play “700 Sundays” and labeling him a “real New Yorker.”
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) marked her 30th Honors, emphasizing the unifying power of the event and the arts to bring people together.
Opera star Renée Fleming, who has performed at the inaugurations of former Presidents Obama and Biden, expressed her excitement at having the commander in chief salute her this time.
The event also featured taped remarks from honoree Barry Gibb at the White House, where he emphasized the importance of kindness and understanding in today’s world.
Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter spoke about the selection process for this year’s honorees, mentioning the celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary and describing the process as “easy and fun.”
The star-studded ceremony attracted high-profile figures from various fields, including Supreme Court justices, politicians, entertainers, and media personalities.
The Kennedy Center Honors are scheduled to be broadcast on CBS at 9 p.m. on December 27.
RAED MORE
This City in Georgia Has the Highest Human Trafficking Rate in the State!