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Rock band Cheap Trick issued a statement defending their performance at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump earlier this month.
At the December 7 ceremony, Cheap Trick performed the song “Rock And Roll All Nite” in tribute to the band KISS, whose members were among the night's honorees.
After receiving some backlash from fans for performing at a Trump-sponsored event, the band took to Instagram on Wednesday to clarify that the decision had nothing to do with politics.
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The rock group “KISS” was among those honored at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. (George De Sota/Link via Getty Images)
“We were asked to perform at this year's Kennedy Center Honors ceremony to pay tribute to our longtime brothers in KISS and to support artists and the arts,” the band wrote. “We agreed to do it for those reasons and no others.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.
Other honorees included country legend George Strait, Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone, Broadway icon Michael Crawford and Grammy-winning singer Gloria Gaynor.
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Trump began leading the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after being elected chairman of the board in February. Since his inauguration, Trump has sought to reform the Kennedy Center following accusations that he was promoting a woke agenda.
The band Cheap Trick defended their decision to perform at the Kennedy Center. (Steve Marcus/Reuters)
During the ceremony, Trump appeared to confirm that he played a major role in selecting the honorees along with the Special Honors Advisory Committee.
“I was about 98% involved…they all came through me,” Trump told reporters.
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“I turned a lot of them down, they were too woke,” he continued. “I had a couple of wake-ups. No, we have great people. This is a lot different than it used to be.”
Trump is also the first president to personally host the Kennedy Center Honors.
President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, walks the red carpet before the 48th Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2025 in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
The 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors took place December 7 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and will air December 23 on CBS and Paramount+.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that the Kennedy Center's board of directors voted unanimously to change the institution's name to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
Fox News' Ashley Hume contributed to this report.
