Since Nielsen started measuring TV ratings in 1950, there has not been a U.S. president as obsessed with them as Donald Trump. He boasts about his own ratings, uses them to bash his rivals, and even makes suggestions about how various networks and shows could improve their own ratings. Kennedy Center Honors, have been a holiday programming staple since it began in 1978. However, this year Trump is on a mission to recast the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in his own image. The results? The show drew its smallest audience ever, a 35% decline from 2024.
