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Tom Cruise has been within the information lots currently, largely because of his budding romance with Ana de Armas.
However now, the Mission: Unattainable star is making headlines for a really completely different motive.
And whereas Tom often eschews politics with a purpose to hold the general public’s deal with his films (and stunts), his newest motion would possibly place him squarely within the middle of the nation’s unending hyper-partisan household feud.
Did Tom Cruise simply publicly snub Donald Trump?
Yearly, the Kennedy Middle honors a number of People for his or her cultural contributions.
A medal from the group is taken into account one of many highest honors an artist or entertainer can obtain, and this yr’s honorees embody George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone.
However regardless of a suggestion from the White Home, Tom Cruise is not going to be available to obtain an award when the annual ceremony takes place in December.
Based on a report from The Washington Put up, Cruise has declined to be among the many first group of Kennedy Middle nominees for Trump’s second time period.
Unnamed Kennedy Middle workers say that the display screen legend turned the supply down because of “scheduling conflicts.”
In fact, that’s the excuse celebs all the time give after they don’t wish to attend an occasion. And the ceremony — which remains to be a number of months away — would solely require a pair hours of Cruise’s time.
The politicization of the Kennedy Middle honors
Up to now, the Kennedy Middle was a largely apolitical group. However nothing is apolitical in 2025.
Trump introduced his intention to take over operations of the Kennedy Middle shortly after taking workplace for his second time period.
And within the months since, he’s proceeded to do precisely that.
Actually, Trump intends to host this yr’s ceremony, an unprecedented transfer for a sitting president.
Trump grew to become chairman of the Kennedy Middle Committee again in February, and he says he took a hands-on strategy to choosing this yr’s honorees.
“I’d say I used to be about 98 % concerned. All of them went via me,” the president stated, per the Put up.
“I had a few wokesters. Now, we’ve nice folks. That is very completely different than it was once, very completely different.”
The Put up additionally quotes Trump as saying he all the time wished an award from the Kennedy Middle, however “was by no means in a position to get one.”
“I waited and waited and waited, and I stated, ‘The hell with it, I’ll turn out to be chairman and I’ll give myself an honor,’” he continued, including, “Subsequent yr, we’ll honor Trump, okay?”
We could by no means know for positive why Cruise opted out of any involvement on this yr’s awards.
However we’re guessing that December’s presentation ceremony shall be not like another in Kennedy Middle historical past.
