The Kennedy Center Honors drew its smallest audience ever this year. The Donald Trump-hosted ceremony averaged an estimated 2.65 million viewers, a large drop from the 4.1 million viewers in 2024. The CBS ceremony saw a 35% drop in ratings, The Independent reports. Trump was the first president to ever host the ceremony. The Washington Post reports that he kicked it off with a 12 minute speech, which CBS cut down to …
SOURCE: BroadwayWorld at 10:21AM on December 29, 2025