Donald Trump baffled people with his very specific guidelines for good music, revealed at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors. The political character added another first to his presidential career when he hosted the event in Washington, D.C.
The Dec. 7 night honored acting legends Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford, and music icons like rock ’n’ roll royalty KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and the “King of Country” George Strait. While on the red carpet, a reporter asked the showman president to share his opinion on what he thinks makes a song great.
“Well, it’s something that has to be soft and soothing to your ear. I like some songs that other people don’t like,” responded Trump. What he said next about the variety of music tastes sparked a firestorm of reactions on X, where the clip was circulated.
He continued, “You ever hear the expression, ‘That’s why they have menus in restaurants?’ We’re all different; we all like different things, otherwise you’d just serve one meal, and that would be it.” But his comments left people more confused than trying to relate.
“Are menus soft and soothing to your ears? WTF does that even mean?” a viewer wondered. Critics noted that Trump’s musical preferences pair perfectly with his recent behavior. “Oh like a lullaby… to sleep through cabinet meetings,” snarked an X user.
Reporter: In your opinion, what makes a song great?
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 7, 2025
Trump: It has to be soft and soothing to your ear. That’s why they have menus in restaurants. We’re all different. pic.twitter.com/pSuPxJ7N3g
On more than one occasion, Trump has fought and lost for moments at a time while trying to stay awake during televised meetings. His penchant for catnaps has earned him nicknames like Dozy Don and Don Snoreleone, as well as heightened speculation about his health.
Diagnoses like dementia, Alzheimer’s, and heart failure have each been projected as possible causes for Trump’s slumbers, noticeable swelling in his legs and right hand, and his expressed inability to think critically through his responses.
A second X user remarked, “The dude is sundowning right in front of our very eyes and his handlers are complicit in this.” A third individual quipped, “Only Trump could take the softest of softball questions and fumble it completely. I salute his commitment to incoherence.”
“This is not abnormal.” Jake Tapper defends Donald Trump for sleeping during his Cabinet meeting. Maybe instead of defending him, Tapper should write a book on Trump’s physical and cognitive decline. pic.twitter.com/9GF819SdST
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) December 3, 2025
Others pointed out the irony in Trump’s answer with comments like, “KISS must’ve loved that ‘soft and soothing’ answer.” Another person tweeted, “Right. Soft, soothing songs like ‘YMCA.’”
The Village People’s most popular song has been a go-to anthem for Trump throughout his political career; it even inspired his signature dance, where he waves his fists and shimmies.
That song and others from artists like Billy Joel, Elvis Presley, James Brown, and even composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” were blasted from White House speakers in mid-November. The display set off alarms on social media.
🚨 JUST IN: President Trumps is BLASTING music this afternoon at the White House 🤣
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 14, 2025
Songs heard include Billy Joel's Uptown Girl, plus Elvis, James Brown, Phantom of the Opera and others
Trump is DJing before his return to Florida tonight! 🔥pic.twitter.com/ABVhsQGbbr
“I play music too when I’m cleaning the house and tossing out the trash. Deep clean time at the White House?” a heckler wrote. A supporter rejoiced in the viral clip. They commented, “Say what you want about President Trump, but you have to admit … the man has excellent taste in music.
Another individual chimed in to say, “Must be hard picking music to play when you know most of the artists hate you.” Several artists like the estate of the late Isaac Hayes and Céline Dion, cracked down on Trump’s unauthorized use of their music during his re-election campaign.
The pushback is one of the reason “YMCA” continues to a fave despite it not being sonically “soft and soothing.”
