Trump’s Kennedy Center Telecast Raises $23M Despite Record Low Viewership!

The Kennedy Center is currently addressing concerns following the broadcast of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by Donald Trump, which saw the lowest viewership in history on CBS.

The broadcast on December 23 attracted an average of 3.01 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data. This marks a significant decline from the previous year’s 4.1 million viewers, which benefited from a Sunday airing and a lead-in from a football-enhanced 60 Minutes. This year, however, the event aired on a Tuesday.

Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations at the center, remarked, “It’s not quite fair to compare this year’s broadcast ratings with those of previous years due to different circumstances, which demonstrates a clear bias from the far-left. Despite challenges related to timing and the industry, such as the Tuesday broadcast just before Christmas, the program performed exceptionally well across major demographics and platforms.

Daravi added, “With a significant drop of about 20 percent in overall television usage compared to last year, the broadcast still managed to tie for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54, alongside a live NBA doubleheader. Additionally, on social media, the Honors achieved 1.5 billion impressions in a single night—a dramatic increase from last year’s 50 million. It was a triumphant evening that celebrated the exceptional contributions of our honorees at the Trump Kennedy Center.”

The claims regarding social media data and the 20% drop in television usage have yet to be independently verified, as digital numbers are not measured by the same standards as TV ratings by Nielsen. Since Trump’s involvement, the Kennedy Center has occasionally accused the media of bias when reporting unfavorably on the center’s activities.

The center also reported raising $23 million from this year’s ceremony, nearly doubling last year’s fundraising efforts.

Honored at the December 7 ceremony, which was recorded for later broadcast, were Sylvester Stallone, Michael Crawford, KISS, George Strait, and Gloria Gaynor. This marked the first occasion a sitting U.S. president hosted the ceremony. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump took charge of the center by dismissing appointees of Joe Biden and Barack Obama to the board, ensuring his selection as chairman of the arts institution.

Following the ceremony last month, the board voted to rename the Kennedy Center after Trump, which was established by Congress in 1964. This decision met opposition from members of the Kennedy family, and Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member of the board, filed a lawsuit arguing that only Congress has the authority to rename the institution.