Trump played MC for the Kennedy Center Honors last night, and managed to get through the evening while keeping the cringe to a minimum. But it’s Trump, so he couldn’t go without making a few vile remarks.
After praising the persistence he said marked the careers of the honorees in his introduction, Trump added, “I know so many of you are persistent. Many of you are miserable, horrible people. You are persistent. You never give up. Sometimes I wish you’d give up, but you don’t.” Classy, ain’t he? He’s yours, America.
Given that he had a hand in selecting the honorees, the list could have been much worse. Michael Crawford’s a theater guy, and Trump is known to like Broadway. George Strait is inoffensive for a country singer. Sylvester Stallone is a longtime GOP supporter; Gene Simmons of Kiss supported Trump in 2016 but turned against him in 2022.
Which leaves Gloria Gaynor, which surprises me mainly because they’re firing minorities left and right unless they’re vocally on Team Trump, and I don’t think Gaynor has ever said anything to indicate she is. Maybe “I Will Survive” reminds him of those wild nights at Studio 54. Before the ceremony Gaynor said, “[It] feels like a dream. To be recognized in this way is the pinnacle.”
Though she’s never returned to the heights of her disco-era fame, Gaynor has released new albums every few years ever since. A new EP she dropped in February, “Happy Tears,” includes this single. Even at age 82 her voice remains strong; she’s done more than survive.
