Hollywood isn’t afraid to reject Donald Trump, but this one might be a little more painful. After being selected as one of the 2025 honorees, Tom Cruise, who earns a career by hanging off skyscrapers, reportedly refused to accept a Kennedy Center Honor. This choice fell into Trump’s lap like a seemingly unthinkable narrative twist!
According to The Irish Star, the actor from the globally popular Mission: Impossible series was discreetly asked to accept the prestigious lifetime achievement award, which recognizes innovative contributions to American culture.
According to many Kennedy Center insiders, Cruise reportedly withdrew, citing scheduling issues. However, given that Trump made the announcement of this year’s recipients in Washington just a few days prior, it is impossible to overlook the timing of this denial.
Tom Cruise is now obviously missing from that list.
The 48th class of honorees includes glam-rock juggernaut KISS, action actor Sylvester Stallone, British theatrical star Michael Crawford, disco icon Gloria Gaynor, and country music legend George Strait. All of them are worthy candidates, but Trump’s outspoken claims that he hand-picks the slate have raised some eyebrows, particularly in light of the fact that one of Hollywood’s biggest box office draws isn’t there.
For the first time this year, Trump accepted the position of chairman of the Kennedy Center, and he is doing so with his customary flare for spectacle. At his news conference on Wednesday, he made sure that everyone was aware that he had chosen the awardees.
He told reporters, “I was about 98% involved; they all came through me,” since he was proud of his influence. He asserted that he had totally stopped the organization’s slide in a few months.
However, Cruise’s quiet pass undermines that message. Trump would have undoubtedly used the fact that he was flatly rejected by a Hollywood megastar as proof of his comeback. Despite Tom Cruise’s camp’s assurance that timing is the only factor, America’s most bankable action hero ultimately decided not to share the stage with Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump offered Tom Cruise a significant Kennedy Center Award, but Cruise turned it down.
See https://t.co/g7uSHkH99zpic.twitter.com/cXIMWSDDNE for additional information.
August 15, 2025, The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast)
It is well known that Trump has an awkward relationship with Hollywood elites. During the press conference, he ridiculed the Academy Awards, calling it woke for its low ratings.
Take a look at the Academy Awards, which currently receive terrible ratings due to its woke content. They only talk about how much they despise Trump, which is something that no one finds appealing. He complained that they no longer watched.
He acknowledged that he had turned down some awardees himself when he said, “I turned down plenty, they were too woke.”
The irony is, of course, that Trump seems to have been benched because of Tom Cruise’s alleged rejection. For a president-turned-arts-chairman who is determined to restore glamour and influence, losing Cruise, one of the few movie performers with both box office power and general esteem, is a PR blow.
Already, Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center raised questions. In a significant departure from custom, he will serve as both the ceremony’s host and the person in charge of choosing the winners, according to the Washington Post!
Trump on the Honors of the Kennedy Center: Someone has requested me to host. “I am the president of the United States,” I declared. Is it foolish of you to ask me to do that? I consented to host. Do you think I have to do this? “He insisted,” they will claim. I wasn’t insistent.@Y2WIsiTD6N on Twitter
August 13, 2025, The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline)
The controversy surrounding Tom Cruise’s absence could overshadow the celebrations, despite the fact that the 2025 honorees are a collection of well-known personalities from the theater, film, and music industries. The Kennedy Center Honors were once thought to be a bipartisan occasion that prioritized culture over politics. Under Trump, they may be about to embark on their most contentious chapter.
What about Hollywood? Trump may find it more difficult to justify Tom Cruise’s real-life snub than a low rating.
