President Donald Trump offered the board of the Kennedy Center his suggestions for artists to celebrate at its annual Honors ceremony and even offered to host the star-studded event himself. 

‘I don’t want to, but I want this thing to be successful,’ he told the board, according to a recording obtained by the Washington Post.

The Honors is the Kennedy Center’s biggest event of the year and a massive fundraiser for the arts center. The ceremony, attended by both Republicans and Democrats, pays homage to leaders in the arts. 

Trump had his own list of suggestions for who should be honored this year, including Paul Anka, Sylvester Stallone, Johnny Mathis and Andrea Bocelli. All of them supported his presidential campaign.

He also complained about the past honorees, which include Bono, Billy Crystal, Tina Turner, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Johnny Carson, Tom Hanks, and Gloria Estefan.

‘In the past, I mean, these are radical left lunatics that have been chosen. I didn’t like it. I couldn’t watch it. And the host was always terrible,’ Trump said.

He then offered his suggestions on the future honorees. It’s unclear how much influence he has in getting people the award, which is given in December. 

‘We’ll go slightly more conservative, if you don’t mind, with some of the people,’ Trump said. ‘There are people out there that would not be considered that are much bigger stars than the ones that were being honored.’

‘Just get some good people, some people who are worthy,’ Trump added. ‘Because some of the people that they put on are just, just terrible.’

Honorees typically are chosen by the Executive Committee of the Center’s Board of Trustees, based on recommendations from the Trustees, the artistic community, and the general public, with the primary criterion being excellence in the performing arts. 

Trump also suggested giving posthumous awards to Elvis Presley, Luciano Pavarotti and Babe Ruth, even though the Kennedy Center Honors are not given posthumously.

‘Elvis sells better as a dead man,’ Trump noted. 

And he floated the idea of expanding the event to include politicians, executives and athletes. 

He also suggested having the networks bid on carrying the honors. The show has been broadcast on CBS since its debut. 

Trump told reporters he visited the Kennedy Center on Monday because ‘I think it’s important to make sure that our country is in good shape and is represented well.’

Typically the president and first lady attend the honors ceremony. And they host the artists at the White House on the day of for a reception.

But Trump never attended the Kennedy Center Honors as president because several artists threatened to boycott if he was present. 

He’s making his presence felt now. 

The president took over the center in early February. In the wake of his move, the contract of Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter was terminated as was that of chairman David Rubenstein.

The board then named Trump as chairman. 

Trump also named several supporters to the board, including his chief of staff Susie Wiles.  He named Ric Grenell as interum president.

His visit on Monday was his first president. Ahead of his arrival, staff hung his and Melania’s official portraits, along with those of Vice President J.D. Vance and Usha Vance. 

The Vances recently attended a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra at the center, where they were booed while taking their seats. 

The Kennedy Center is ‘in tremendous disrepair, as is a lot of the rest of our country,’ Trump told reporters before the board meeting. 

‘Most of it, because of bad management. This is a shame, what I’ve watched and witnessed.’ 

Trump also complained about staging costs at the center, saying musician Lee Greenwood wanted to perform Monday at the first board meeting he chaired, but it would cost $30,000 to ‘move a piano.’ 

The Kennedy Center is funded by a mixture of government-appropriated funding, private donations and ticket sales revenue.

Trump also suggested the Center show more Broadway shows this year. It is scheduled to have a run of Les Miserables, one of Trump’s favorite musicals.

However, the producers of Hamilton decided to pull the hit musical from its scheduled  run at the center this spring. 

Trump shrugged that off. 

 ‘I never liked Hamilton very much,’ he told reporters. 

‘We’re going to get some very good shows. The thing that does well are Broadway hits. And we have some beauty, I guess we have Les Mis coming, and we have some others, but the Broadway hits have done very well,’ he pointed out.

Trump never saw Hamilton. 

In 2016, shortly after the presidential election, then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence saw the show on Broadway. Afterward the cast made an unusual appeal, asking Pence to see that the Trump administration ‘uphold our American values’ and ‘work on behalf of all of us.’ 

Trump, at the time, called the ‘Hamilton’ cast had ‘harassed’ Pence by making the statement and had been ‘very rude.’ 

‘Apologize,’ he demanded.