Navarro urges Gaynor to decline Kennedy Center honor from Trump

Ana Navarro, a cohost of The View and a CNN contributor, is urging Gloria Gaynor to turn down the Kennedy Center Honor she was selected to receive from President Donald Trump, arguing that the award would be issued by a president whose record on women’s rights, people of color and LGBTQ issues has drawn widespread criticism. Navarro described Gaynor as a “goddess” who deserves recognition, but said accepting the honor from Trump would amount to endorsing a figure she views as hostile to core rights. She also recalled a personal moment with Gaynor, noting a keychain that played I Will Survive and a battery-depleted moment from the first Trump term, to illustrate how deeply political the gesture has become for her.

Trump announced the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees during a Washington ceremony, naming Gaynor alongside George Strait, Kiss, Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone, and said he would host the event. The announcements come as Trump has moved to reshape the institution’s governance since taking leadership of the Kennedy Center board, including firing several members appointed by the previous administration, installing new appointees and declaring an intention to...