TRANSCRIPT: President Trump Speaks to Reporters on the Kennedy Center Red Carpet, 12.7.25
[Video]
Question: [Audio in Progress] think tonight is one of the most prestigious nights in American Art [Inaudible] what does this mean to [Inaudible] chairman of the commission [Inaudible]
President Trump: Well, it's very exciting being chairman, but maybe more important is saving this incredible structure, building, and concept. And it's done so well [Inaudible] the charities [Inaudible] and you see the way it's [Inaudible] like it's never been before. And this building was [Inaudible] going to be brought back to life before we started and it'll be better than it was from day one.
Question: [Inaudible] represent story-telling of American legends. What are these [Inaudible]
Trump: Right now [Inaudible] one of the [Inaudible] very, very much unparalleled, so we'll see how it turns out. I think it's going to be great.
Question: Okay. First Lady Melania, can I ask you about your upcoming video? Can you tell us anything about how you filmed?
Melania Trump: [Inaudible] come and see it [Inaudible]
Question: [Inaudible] you have celebrated the arts design as part of your journey. Tell us what tonight means to you.
Trump: Well, I'm hoping we'll bring him back to the capital, Washington, DC. You look back a year ago, it was very unsafe. Beautiful, but unsafe, but it wasn't properly kept. It was not in good condition. Now it's in very good condition. As you know, crime has being going down a level [Inaudible]
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: Say it?
Question: Do you think Senator [Inaudible]
Trump: I don't know. I hear that. I don't know. It's not up to me. That's up to the board. The board makes that decision. I have a very prestigious board. Uh, you look at the names, I don't think this is board [Inaudible] So that would be up to the board. Thank you.
Question: Are you willing to [Inaudible] a question?
Trump: Say it?
Question: [Inaudible] question?
Trump: Well, I think maybe not yet.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: This is about the Kennedy Center. Thank you.
Question: What about, what about [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, that's got to go through a process and we'll see what happens. Uh, Netflix is a great company. They've done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man. I have a lot of respect for him. But it's a, it's a lot of market share so we'll have to see what happens.
Question: President Trump, who's on your list for next year?
Trump: Actually I looked at the list and I can't tell you that yet, but a lot of people wanna be on my list. You'd like to be on the list.
Question: I don't know about that.
Question: I have a question for you, Mr. President. How have you prepared to host tonight?
Trump: Well, maybe I haven't prepared. Maybe you want to be a little bit loose. Uh, if you look at the great host, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, uh, those are the greats. If you look at the not-so-greats, like Jimmy Kimmel, that's just terrible. But, uh, no, I think you, you want to be just loose. Not a lot to prepare for.
Question: I, I've been ask –
Trump: You know what you have to be, you have to be yourself.
Question: I've been asking your cabin tonight. Is this going to be more Johnny Carson or Don Rickles?
Trump: Well, Don, I knew them both and they were both great guys and friends of mine. Both difficult, very difficult –
Question: (laughs)
Trump: But great. I, I was really very close to both of them. Uh, they, you can't compare them. They were very different.
Question: Why did you –
Trump: But Johnny, Johnny Carson for hosting was top of the line.
Question: President Trump, Jesse Watters has a question for you. What was your favorite moment of 2025 at the big year?
Trump: I think when Jesse Watters interviewed me.
Question: (laughs).
Trump: Such a phenomenal interview. He's a great guy, and you're a great guy. You're doing a very good job out there. I'm proud of you.
Question: Thank you so much, President Trump. Who is on your naughty list this year?
Trump: Oh, it's a long list.
Question: (laughs).
Trump: I better not tell you. It's got a problem out there in the world. No, we have a, a pretty big long naughty list, but our country is doing well. We're the hottest country anywhere in the world right now. And a year ago, we were a dead country. We were a dead country that was laughed at all over the world. We're the hottest country in the world.
Question: What would be –
Trump: And Jesse Watters is terrific.
Question: Mr. President of the Supreme Court overturning your authority on, on Paris, the emergency authority [Inaudible] the economy.
Trump: Well, we have a right to go a different form of tariffs. We have a right to go licensing. We have a right to go other ways. But the form of, uh, tariffing, we call it the form of the current form of tariffing that's before the court gives us a great national security, more than anything else, because it allows the president to act quickly and effectively, swiftly, and make a decision. And as you know, I ended eight wars, trying to end a ninth and we thought this would be maybe one of the easier ones just in Rwanda and Congo. And, uh, that was going on for 30 years. The Russia and Ukraine, I thought it was gonna be a little bit easier, but it's not being made easy. It's a very tough war, very nasty. 27,000 people died last month, mostly soldiers. Uh, I will say that, uh, all I, I really think this is really a night of joy tonight because of what's happening with this building. It's gonna be fantastic when you see the end product. It's gonna be better than what's new, and I think we'll celebrate that, but I will say that our country is doing really well.
Question: Republicans express concern about, uh, using the tariffs, the revenue for, uh, dividend, saying we should be paying down the national debt.
Trump: Well, we will.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Trump: I agree with them on that, but I also think that, you know, we're making so much money with tariffs that we'll also be able to make a nice dividend to middle income people. We're talking about middle income and lower income people. We're not talking about dividends to rich people. But, uh, there's so much money being made from the tariffs and countries that were taking advantage of us for many, many years are not taking advantage of us anymore. We're taking in tremendous amounts of money from countries that we're, we were losing lots of money here. And you know what? They're okay with it. They're not complaining. They're not complaining about the tariffs. They'd rather not have them, but they're not saying there's anything wrong. And the big thing is, in the court, we have tremendous flexibility with the current system. It's unbelievable for national security. I've ended eight wars largely because of trade and because of tariffs. If we go the other tariff route, and there are other routes it could go, but it won't give you the same pure national security as this one. This one is swift and very powerful.
Question: Mr. President, what's the next step in Russia and Ukraine talks?
Question: [Inaudible]
Question: What's your next step toward Ukraine talks [Inaudible]
Trump: So we've been speaking to President Putin and we've been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy. And I have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn't yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn't. Russia's fine with it. Russia's, you know, Russia, Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country, wouldn't you think a bit? But, uh, Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I'm not sure that Zelenskyy's fine with it. His people love it, but he hasn't read it. So someday you'll explain that one to me, Jeff.
Question: I don't have an explanation, sir.
Question: President Trump, [Inaudible]
Trump: Raymond, thank you very much. Good job you're doing. Say hello.
Question: Thank you. What, what would you like to see Sylvester Stallone do as a Hollywood ambassador in Hollywood?
Trump: Uh, he is automatic, I mean, as far as I'm concerned. He is one of the ambassadors, as you know. And, uh, he's already been doing that. I, look, all he has to do is be himself. If Sly is himself, that's all he can be. If he tries to be somebody else, it wouldn't be good. He's a great guy. He's done a fantastic job and he really deserves this honor. You know, it's something he's wanted for years. And this is bigger than it's ever been. I mean, I, I don't want to say why. I refuse to say why. But you take a look at this line last, like your last year, if you look at this line, it was not this.
Question: Mr. President.
Trump: [Inaudible] different. It was a different thing.
Question: Why are you and the First Lady spending so much time, so much energy in revivifying and remaking the Kennedys?
Trump: Uh, it's not the Kennedys. We're, we're, and we are, look, Bobby Jr. is doing a fantastic job. Uh, it's not the Kennedys. It's our country. We're bringing our country back and we're bringing D.C. back, Washington, D.C. We're bringing our capital. It's a safe place now.
Question: No, I mean --
Trump: [Inaudible]
Question: -- the center itself, why are you so focused on revivifying?
Trump: Because it could never be built again. It's got three massive places, call them. We have different stages, dance, theater, and you have a place that we're gonna be in tonight that, uh, there's really nothing like it in the country. And if this disappeared, you'd never be able to build it again. And I'm able to save it because that's what I used to do for a living really, is, well, maybe better than anybody else. I could take something and, uh, spend less money than other people and make it better than anybody else could. Uh, the Kennedy Center has a chance to be unbelievable. And, you know, I mentioned yesterday something very important, sound. It's like sometimes you could say like people. You either have it or you don't. Great sound to this building.
A lot of times, and you know the Lincoln Center saga, they've rebuilt one building, most important building. They rebuilt it four times and they've never been able to produce really great sound. The sound in the Kennedy Center has been incredible from day one. Call it luck or talent. Probably luck. There's a lot of luck involved.
You know, the great sound buildings, the greatest in the world, are the old opera houses built in the 1700s and 1800s in Europe. And they had one thing that was in common, lots of marble. And, uh, they didn't have sound engineers. They had lots of marble. And this is, uh, this is, has got great sound. Even right here in the hallway, the sound is fantastic. Thank you very much, Raymond.
Question: [Inaudible] I'm just curious to know how they have impacted your persons [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, uh, are you talking about the five honorees and the five group, the group and the five armories? Uh, they are outstanding people. I had to approve them all. And every one of them, very different. I said last night, totally different, totally different audience, but when you add them up, they're 100% of our country and a big percentage of the world. So we have, uh, great honorees. It's gonna be a lot of fun. You're gonna have a good time tonight.
Question: Thank you. Mr. President, [Inaudible] Mr. President, [Inaudible] Could you imagine, next year, maybe you're not hosting, but maybe you receive it [Inaudible]
Trump: That's an interesting one. I haven't thought of that. Yeah, I think I'm gonna nominate myself for next year.
Question: (Laughs). Mr. President.
Question: Mr. President.
Question: Mr. President. Ev- -- every day [Inaudible] big job being the president, how, why was it important for you to actually host the show tonight? And how much time did you spend getting ready for it?
Trump: Well, it wasn't important for me, other than if I get much higher ratings, if it's a more successful show, then I'm contributing. I get nothing. I don't make money with it. I don't do anything. It's a little bit of work, not a lot of work. I look forward to doing it, but the network said, "Would it be possible to get the president to host?" And I love the concept of no president has ever hosted the Kennedy Senator honorees.
And it's very important that this building be great and that this building remained really, you know, I saved the building. You know, we raised a lot of money tonight, tremendous record numbers of dollars. A lot of money. And we've raised over $100 million over the last very short period of time. That's a lot of money.
And that money goes into the rejuvenation and the rebuilding of the building. And a lot of it's, a lot of it's already taken place. A lot of the things that you don't see have already taken place.
Question: Mr. President [Inaudible] the building for locals who come to the Kennedy Center who live here, when will we start to see all the changes? And if you have a timeline for when this --
Trump: No.
Question: -- will all be wrapped up?
Trump: I think over the next four or five months, we're gonna have it very well s- -- you, you see the outside the columns. They're beautiful. You know, they had a fake gold color and now they're a beautiful, gleaming white. And everyone's talking about that. It sounds like not much of a change. It's a massive change.
You know, the white against the white marble. The marble is being rejuvenated. They're great pieces of marble, but they've been let go and they've been tired. And I always say you can take a, a 100th of an inch off of a piece of marble and you have a brand new piece of marble, but nobody does that. It's not an easy process. But, uh, if you look on the outside of the building, people see already very big --
Question: Did you first change the style of the change --
Trump: A little bit.
Question: -- that's happened here?
Trump: Yeah, she got great taste. I'll ask her. I'll ask her her opinion. She liked the white as opposed to the fake gold. But they had the fake gold. You know, the one thing about gold, you can never imitate real gold. They've tried to do it for years, paint, gold, paint.
Question: Mr.-
Trump: Gold paint never works.
Question: Mr. Pres --
Trump: You gotta, you gotta go for the real 24 carat gold. Yes.
Question: Y- -- yes, sir. Is there any, uh, another president other than yourself that you think would've done a good job hosting this event?
Trump: Hosting, yes. Building, no. (laughs).
Question: Mr. President. Mr. President.
Trump: You have a couple of, you know, politicians --
Question: Mr. President.
Trump: -- get very good on their feet, most of them.
Question: Can you name one?
Trump: I would say the last one wouldn't have done too well, I was getting. [Laughs]
Question: [Laughter] Mr. President.
Trump: But, uh, but, you know, we've had some great politicians. Excuse me. John F. Kennedy would have done a very good job hosting. Uh, but building, no. I will build better than anybody. I build better than anybody. Thank you.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Trump: Say it?
Question: -- doubling. Uh, $23 million [Inaudible] doubling last year.
Trump: Yeah.
Question: Why do you think that is?
Trump: Maybe we had something to do with it. I don't know. We, we doubled up last year. It's really much more than that because we've raised, we've done over 100, not including tonight. We've done over $100 million already. And those are numbers that the Kennedy Center has never seen before. It's doing really well. Thank you for that question.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: You've done so much for American greatness.
Trump: Say it.
Question: You've done so much for American greatness. Talk to the next generation about how important the values are that you're celebrating tonight are to American greatness. Things like d- -- self-discipline, creativity, talent, those things.
Trump: Yeah. Well, the young generation, I think, is gonna grow up strong. We have, uh, a very different country than we had a year ago. A year ago, we had a country that was in big trouble. Now we have a country that's the talk of the world, and everybody's respecting us again. And, uh, young people are respecting this again too.
I won the young vote. The Republicans never win the young vote. I won it easily. And, uh, I wanna thank Charlie, and I wanna thank TikTok, and there are a lot of reasons for it. But, uh, there's never been a Republican who won the young vote. And I won the very young vote. So that's a good sign. Thank you.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: Mr. President, why did you [Inaudible] this as the president? Why did you select this for being on it this evening, the other favorite Kiss song?
Trump: Well, uh, I, I like them as people. Uh, I've listened to their music over the years. They are characters there. They really are. Uh, I don't know if you saw last night, the speeches, they were great. They really made some great speeches last night. And, uh, they're very popular. A lot of people, you know, a lot of people write in and ask us to select. So, like, think of it. Sylvester Stallone was not picked for any of this stuff. He's one of the greatest movie stars of all time --
Question: Can you --
Trump: -- based on revenue, based on, you know, Rocky and Rambo and the numbers. No, I, I doubt. Maybe there's a couple of stars that have done something equal, but really there's nothing like it. So we're gonna have a very exciting night, but Kiss is terrific.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: What are you, two questions. What are you looking forward to most about hosting tonight? And number two, Secretary Duffy says you are the master of the playlist out on the rose garden so what's your favorite song to listen to on the rose garden?
Trump: Well, I have so many different songs and, uh, I mean, look, Lee Greenwood really hit big with that. It, it was from day one that was, we put it on the first rally and we never, we never took it off and he's great. But I have a lot of favorites and I can tell you that we both love Elton John, special man, special guy.
And uh, he's really talent -- uh, we like a lot of different, uh, I like a lot of different songs, a lot of different types of music. I have a good playlist. Thank you.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: Would you like to speak for America 250 here at the Kennedy Center? What would you like to see?
Trump: Well, we're gonna have a lot of events. You know, one of the things you're gonna have here is some of the UFC, uh, press. You're gonna have the fighters coming over talking about the fights. It's a big deal. The UFC on June 14th, it's gonna be June 14th next year. And they're building an arena. The great Dana White's building an arena.
And they're gonna have eight or nine championship fight, the biggest fights they've ever had. Everyone's a championship fight, and everyone's a legendary type of fight. He's actually holding back fights right now for six months so he can do it for this, uh, the 250. I think 250 is gonna be amazing. I think the arena's gonna be 5 or 6,000 seats right in front of the front door of the White House, and 100,000 people in the back where they're putting up 8 or 10 very big screens. That's gonna be an exciting night. So many people are asking for tickets, the UFC. Thank you.
Question: Mr. President [Inaudible]
Trump: Yes, I did. I met with Ted. I think he's fantastic. I think he's, in the history of Hollywood, has really been almost, you could say, nothing like what he's done. You'd go back to Louie B. Mayer, maybe. Metro Golden Mayer, MGM. Uh, Ted has done an incredible job. I mean, he had a company that was very troubled seven or eight years ago, and he took it over and he, he's, uh, really done a legendary job.
Question: Should they be allowed to buy Warner Brothers? Should that --
Trump: Well, that's the question. They have a very big market share. And when they have Warner Brothers, you know, that share goes up a lot. So I don't know. That's gonna be, uh, for some economist to tell and also, and I'll be involved in that decision, too.
Question: Did, did they --
Trump: But, but they, and they have a very big market share.
Question: Did he make any guarantees to you about the merger, if they do merge, that --
Trump: No. No, not at all. He came up. He was in the Oval Office last week. I have a lot of respect for him. He's a great, he's a great person. But he's done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things. He's, uh, and he's got a lot of interesting things happening aside from what you're talking about. But it is a big market share. There's no question about it.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: It, it could be a problem. Yes?
Question: Mr. President, you mentioned some of your favorite songs, in your opinion, of what makes a song great?
Trump: Well, it's something that has to be soft and soothing to your ear. I like some songs that other people don't like, you know? It's why they have --
Question: Like what?
Trump: You ever hear the expression, "That's why they menus in restaurants." We're all different. We all order different things. Otherwise, you just serve one meal and that would be it.
Question: Are you a country music fan?
Trump: But I like, I like, I love country music and we have, hey, we have the King of Country Music tonight, so that's another one.
Question: President Trump, will you rename the Kennedy Center, the Trump Center?
Trump: Uh, it's not up to me. We have a board of 40 people that are really the most prestigious people in the United States. We have the honorary chairwoman on the board, right?
Melania Trump: Mm-hmm.
Trump: As the first lady, she's honorary chairwoman. But we have, it's a really prestigious board, and that's up to them. I, I don't know what they're doing about that.
Question: And can you tell us more about the opera house up --
Trump: Look, we, we are saving the Kennedy Center. It's [Inaudible]-
Question: And can you tell us how did you choose the nominees today, the winners today?
Trump: Yeah, we went through probably 50 different names. Uh, we were politicked by a lot of people. Some, some of them the stars themselves. But we went through 50 names and we picked the five and, uh, we're very happy with it. They've really, very different, very different audiences. But as I said, just down the line, uh, they're different audiences, but when you add them up, it's 100% of the public. Thank you.
Question: Mr. President, the opera house [Inaudible] interested. What did you talk about with Prime Minister Carney and, uh, Mexican President Sheinbaum, when you were here, just a few days later?
Trump: Right. Mexico and Canada, we met with the, uh, as you know, I mean, it was pretty well, a lot of people were here. Right here we met and, uh, the Prime Minister of Canada, President of Mexico, and we spoke for a half hour, very good, very productive, talked mostly trade.
Question: Will you restart negotiations with Canada?
Trump: Oh, I'll, look, I have a great relationship with Canada. They're very tough traders, but I have a very good relationship with the Prime Minister and with Canada.
Question: And you had said you would halt those negotiations earlier after the tariff --
Trump: Well, I have halted them so --
Question: And so will you restart that?
Trump: But yeah, yeah, we'll see. I mean, you know, the problem is, uh, Canada makes a lot of things that we don't need 'cause we make them also. But we'll work it out. Look, Canada's a special place, and they really are good at ice hockey, aren't they?
Question: Mr. President [Inaudible] what is more difficult, Mr. President? Hosting the Kennedy Center Honors for preparing for the State of the Union?
Trump: Well, could I answer that question after the show's over?
Question: If you give it to me, absolutely, but --
Trump: I'll give it to you after the show's over.
Question: Thanks.
Trump: I mean --
Question: What's more difficult?
Trump: -- this is a little bit different.
Question: Yes.
Trump: But, you know, I hosted The Apprentice when it was the number one show on television. We did 42.5 million people that night. It was a little different television than it is then. We had more people watching in those days, but --
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: What are you expecting Mr. President in terms of ratings for this year's Kennedy Center Honors?
Trump: I think it'll be great. I think it's gonna do, ratings are complicated now because you have streaming added on and everything else, but I think it'll do very big. I mean, just look, I mean, just based on what you see right here. If you, if you came here last year, you saw a line that was about, uh, one tenth this size. You weren't even here last year, right?
Question: Of course. [Inaudible] Mr. President, how, how do you prepare for hosting this year's Kennedy Center Honors? You had so much on your plate. Where do you --
Trump: I do. I have a lot of my plate, and I didn't really prepare very much. I read a little bit. I have a good memory so I can remember things, which is very fortunate. But, uh, just, I want to just be myself. And so you have to be yourself. Johnny Carson, he was himself. Thank you, everyone.
Question: During your first term, you stayed away. [Inaudible] politicizing issue. Do you think the Kennedy Center is now better serving all Americans?
Trump: I think it is. I think it's been, uh, it's been really enhanced very greatly over the last 10 months, meaning since we've been here, and we're making it great. We're gonna make it physically great as a building, and so will, you won't even believe how beautiful it'll be. And, uh, we saved the Kennedy Center. That's a big thing. Thank you.
Question: But during your first term you stayed away from the awards.