Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. When President George W. Bush presided over the Kennedy Center awards for the final time, in 2008, one of the honorees was Barbra Streisand, a vocal critic of his policies. Because, he tweeted, the theater must be a “safe and special place.”“Safe and special?” For whom? The refusal of the president to celebrate them is a chilling and clear departure from American values. Perhaps the Trumps didn’t want to compete with the Obamas, who at the 2016 Kennedy Center awards received the longest standing ovation of the evening.

Source: New York Times December 25, 2017 23:48 UTC