Kiss have reacted to US President Trump's announcement that they're to be recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors, alongside soul diva Gloria Gaynor, country star George Strait, and actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford.
"We'll be honouring one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Kiss," Trump told a press conference. "So Kiss was formed in 1973 in New York City by founding band members – and incredible people, by the way – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss
"Kiss became a global phenomenon. Sold more than 100 million records worldwide and produced 30 gold albums and lots of other things. They produced, they made a fortune. And they're great people and they deserve it and they work hard and they're still working hard and it's an honour to present Kiss.
"Thank you very much, got it, thank you. And they're going to do something very special. Kiss is going to be here a little bit before the show. I think they're gonna do something very special. We're gonna have a good time."
"Kiss is the embodiment of the American dream," Gene Simmons tells TMZ. "We are deeply honoured to receive the Kennedy Center Honor."
"From our earliest days, Kiss has embodied the American ideal that all things are possible and that hard work pays off," adds Paul Stanley. "The prestige of the Kennedy Center Honors cannot be overstated, and I accept this on behalf of the long legacy of Kiss and all of the band members who helped create our iconic band."
Prior to this year's Kennedy vote, President Trump, who says he will be producing and presenting the Honors show, removed a significant number of trustees from the Kennedy Center's board, before replacing them with his own appointees, who later elected him chairman. Several Kennedy Center luminaries resigned in opposition to Trump's takeover.
Meanwhile, ABC reports that the White House plans to conduct a wide-ranging review of the Smithsonian Institution – the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex – to ensure that its operations align with President Trump's view of American history.
The initiative, which, according to the White House, seeks to "ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions", will also be applied to the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Galleryand the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Mention of Donald Trump’s two impeachments has already been removed from an exhibit at the National Museum of American History.
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