In an unfiltered and unapologetic address at the White House on Monday night, President Donald Trump laid bare the motivations behind his 2024 re-election bid and his sweeping overhaul of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Speaking to newly appointed board members of the prestigious cultural institution, Trump delivered a speech that was part victory lap, part vengeance tour, and fully emblematic of his renewed grip on Washington.
Trump reiterated his long-standing belief that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged,” claiming that if not for alleged interference, he would have peacefully retired rather than returning to political combat. But instead, as he put it in blunt, off-script fashion:
“So I said, you know what I’ll do? I’ll run again and I’ll shove it up their a. And that’s what I did.”**
According to Trump, it wasn’t just unfinished business that drew him back to the political arena, but a trio of historic milestones he credits himself with securing for the United States: the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 2026 FIFA World Cup (to be co-hosted with Canada and Mexico), and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026.
Trump won the election so he could be President during the World Cup and Olympics in the United States.
“I said man — I won’t be President and they’re gonna forget.. nobody’s gonna mention it. Then they rigged the election. Then I said I’ll run again and shove it up their ass” pic.twitter.com/fRnCB3h3DW
— ALX (@alx) May 20, 2025
“If they would have left us alone,” Trump said, “I would have been happily doing something else. And instead, they have me for four more years.”
Trump also took aim at the Kennedy Center, where his impact is already being felt. Since returning to office in January, he has removed long-serving board members and overseen the installation of a new, Trump-aligned board. In February, this newly configured board named Trump chairman—a historic first for any sitting or former U.S. president.
High-profile figures including TV producer Shonda Rhimes and musician Ben Folds promptly resigned in protest, but Trump remained unmoved. Speaking at the gathering, he claimed the institution had been overrun with “rampant political propaganda” and accused previous leadership of pushing “woke programming” steeped in DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) themes and LGBTQ-focused content.
“When I said I’d do this, I hadn’t even been there,” Trump quipped, noting that he typically avoids agreeing to anything sight unseen. Upon visiting the venue, he described it as deteriorating despite years of generous federal funding. “I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” he told the audience, criticizing what he saw as wasteful spending and a decline in artistic standards.
