President Donald Trump’s latest press conference has sparked backlash after he delivered an off-topic and unusual speech while announcing the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients.
At the Wednesday event, the 79-year-old president named this year’s honorees: country singer George Strait, disco legend Gloria Gaynor, rock band Kiss, and actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford.
While praising the award winners, Trump also talked about “fixing up Washington, D.C.,” saying the city had “fallen into despair” but would soon be “beautiful again.” He promised to replace the “old, tired and exhausted” grass in the city’s parks, adding, “We’ll redo the grass with the finest grasses. I know a lot about grass. I own a lot of golf courses. If you don’t have good grass, you aren’t in business very long.”
The speech took an unexpected turn when Trump suddenly congratulated Senator Lindsey Graham on his “good poll numbers,” causing the senator to give an awkward laugh.
Social media reacted quickly. Many mocked Trump’s rambling comments and brought back the nickname “Dementia Don.” Some pointed out his slurred speech and stumbles over words, questioning his mental sharpness.
This isn’t the first time Trump has made headlines for unusual public behavior. Last week, he spoke to reporters while walking on the White House roof, saying he was inspecting the site for a planned ballroom. Days later, he warned that “1929” could happen again without his tariffs, a reference to the Great Depression.
