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US President Donald Trump on Friday touted his “perfect health” and cognitive skills, one day after publication of an interview in which the 79-year-old defended his fitness for office amid scrutiny over his well-being.”The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.The Wall Street Journal on Thursday published an interview with Trump — who at 79 is the oldest person to assume the US presidency — in which he blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep during televised meetings.Trump also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan.Trump has based much of his political image on projecting vigor — whether through his frequent interactions with journalists, constant social media posting, or AI memes depicting him as a superhero.However, the first year of his second term in office has raised growing questions.His right hand shows persistent bruising, often covered with thick makeup and at times a bandage, and his ankles have appeared swollen.On occasion, Trump has clearly struggled to keep his eyes open, including during an Oval Office meeting with health representatives in November.Trump told the Journal that he wasn’t dozing, just relaxing.”I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”In his post on Friday, Trump added that any presidential or vice presidential candidate should be required to take a “strong, meaningful, and proven” cognitive exam.”Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!” he wrote.It was a swipe at his predecessor Joe Biden, the oldest president in US history, who dropped out of the 2024 election after a disastrous debate performance raised concerns about the Democrat’s age and apparent decline.

Danish offshore wind energy firm Orsted said Friday its US joint venture had filed a lawsuit challenging the suspension of the lease for its nearly-completed project off the coast of New England.The US Interior Department on December 22 said it had paused leases for all five of the country’s offshore wind projects under construction, citing unspecified national security risks and casting new doubt over the future of an industry detested by President Donald Trump.Orsted has a 50 percent stake in the Revolution Wind project alongside a renewables infrastructure developer that is part of the BlackRock investment group.The park of 65 turbines off the coast of Rhode Island is 87 percent complete and had been set to go online this year and provide power for more than 350,000 homes, according to Orsted.”While Revolution Wind continues to seek to work constructively with the Administration and other stakeholders towards an expeditious and durable resolution of this matter, it believes that the lease suspension order violates applicable law,” Orsted said in a statement.The Revolution Wind project faces substantial harm from a continuation of the lease suspension order, it said, and noted an earlier suspension of the project by the Trump administration in August was overturned by the courts.”As a result, litigation is a necessary step to protect the rights of the project,” it added.The move by the Interior Department came only  weeks after a judge ruled that a blanket ban on new offshore permits — signed by Trump on his first day in office in January — was illegal.The Interior Department did not specify what the risks were, but it noted that the Department of Energy had also previously identified potential issues related to radar interference.Orsted said that Revolution Wind secured all required federal and state permits in 2023 following extensive reviews that lasted years, which included consultations with the US military.”Those consultations resulted in a fully executed formal agreement between the Department of War, the Department of the Air Force, and Revolution Wind outlining mitigation measures” to be undertaken as part of the project, Orsted said.Trump has long complained that wind turbines ruin views and are expensive. In addition to his order attempting to ban new wind farm permits, Trump’s administration has also moved to block all federal loans for wind energy.

US President Donald Trump blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep while attending public meetings in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday.In the interview defending his health, Trump also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan.Trump, who at 79 is the oldest person to assume the US presidency, told the Journal “my health is perfect” and expressed frustration with scrutiny of his well-being.Trump has based much of his political image on projecting vigor — whether through his frequent interactions with journalists, constant social media posting, or AI memes depicting him as a superhero.However, the first year of his second term in office has raised growing questions.His right hand shows persistent bruising, often covered with thick makeup and at times a bandage, and his ankles have appeared swollen.On occasion, Trump has clearly struggled to keep his eyes open, including during a televised Oval Office meeting with health representatives in November — a politically sensitive issue for someone who constantly frames his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as “sleepy.”Biden left office a year ago at 82, making him the oldest president in history — a record Trump is set to surpass during his current term.Trump rarely exercises beyond outings at his golf courses and for years has made no secret of his love for high-fat, high-sodium fast food.- Bruising and ‘blinking’ -The Republican explained the bruising on his hand as the result of aspirin that he takes daily to thin his blood. “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” he told the Journal.He said he applies makeup or bandages when his hand is “whacked.”One cut, he said, was caused when his attorney general Pam Bondi hit the back of his hand with her ring while giving him a high-five.Explanations of his health issues have been inconsistent.Trump himself told reporters that he underwent an MRI scan in October, but said at the time he had “no idea what they analyzed.””Whatever they analyzed, they analyzed it well, and they said that I had as good a result as they’ve ever seen,” he said initially.To the Journal, Trump said it was not an MRI, “it was less than that. It was a scan.”Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbabella, confirmed to the newspaper that a CT scan — a procedure that takes far less time than an MRI — was done “to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues.”Trump pushed back against any idea that he falls asleep in public.”I’ve never been a big sleeper,” Trump said.Instances where he appears to be dozing off are just moments of relaxation, he said.”I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”

Zohran Mamdani promised Thursday to show left-wing politics can succeed as he took over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with US President Donald Trump. Thousands of people gathered in freezing conditions in the United States’ largest city to celebrate the 34-year-old Democrat’s inauguration after his impressive political rise from relative anonymity just a year ago. “They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved,” Mamdani said outside City Hall.”We will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: we will set an example for the world.”In the 24-minute speech, he added: “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously.”Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, emphasized the cost of living issues that were central to his mayoral campaign, pledging to help those “betrayed by the established order.”Left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also spoke in front of some 4,000 ticketed guests.”Thank you for giving us, from coast to coast, the hope and the vision that we can create government that works for all, not just the wealthy and the few,” said Sanders, a former presidential hopeful.At one point during his speech, the crowd broke into chants of “tax the rich.” Mamdani wants to raise taxes on New York’s wealthiest residents.Thousands of people also thronged downtown Manhattan, many wearing yellow and blue beanies emblazoned with “Zohran,” to watch the ceremony on large screens. “This is the first time that either of us in our entire lives has felt some kind of political hope at all,” 31-year-old Jacob Byerly, a scientist, told AFP alongside his wife Auburn. – Ambitious agenda -Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, comes to power at a time when Trump has pushed a hard-right agenda. But it remains to be seen if Mamdani can deliver on his ambitious program, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.How Trump behaves could be decisive. The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States.Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities.Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a “communist lunatic.”The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist.Mamdani mentioned Trump only once in his speech Thursday while reflecting on the city’s diversity, citing supporters of the president who also backed him in the mayoral vote.- Symbolic inauguration -The inauguration was jam-packed with symbolism. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud, performed a private midnight swearing-in at an abandoned subway station.Mamdani’s office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people.And in a first for the city, he used Korans to be sworn in as mayor.Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics.Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden’s government.Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims.As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the city’s Jewish community — the largest in the US — of his inclusive leadership.A small group of people holding Israeli flags appeared to protest Mamdani Thursday by blowing air horns during his speech.

Zohran Mamdani, the young star of the US left, started his first day as New York mayor on Thursday for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.The 34-year-old Democrat — virtually unknown a year ago — was officially sworn in as mayor of the largest city in the United States just past midnight as New Yorkers rang in the new year. New York’s first Muslim mayor took the oath of office during a private ceremony at a decommissioned subway stop under City Hall. Later on Thursday, Mamdani is scheduled to take part in a larger, ceremonial inauguration with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall. Mamdani’s team has also organized a block party that it says will enable tens of thousands of people to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway.”This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani told reporters after taking the official oath in the first minutes of New Year’s Day. – Ambitious agenda -But it remains to be seen if Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.How Trump behaves could be decisive. The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting “couldn’t have gone better from Mamdani’s perspective.”But he warned their relationship could quickly sour. One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States.Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities.Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a “communist lunatic.”The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist.- New occupant of mayoral mansion -Mamdani’s private swearing-in to start his four-year term was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud.In a first for the city, Mamdani is using several Korans to be sworn in as mayor — two from his family and one that belonged to Puerto Rico-born Black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.The new job comes with a change of address as he swaps his rent-controlled apartment in the borough of Queens for Gracie Mansion, the luxurious mayor’s residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.Some had wondered if he would move to the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he was doing so mainly for security reasons.Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor.Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden’s government.Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims.As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the city’s Jewish community — the largest in the US — of his inclusive leadership. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.

Revellers around the world toasted the start of 2026 on Thursday, bidding farewell to a volatile year when temperatures soared, US President Donald Trump upended global trade, and the brutal conflict in Ukraine raged on.While a fragile truce took hold in devastated Gaza, violence in Sudan continued unabated. A new American pope was installed at the Vatican, the world lost pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, and Labubu dolls sparked a worldwide frenzy.In Sydney, partygoers paused for a minute of silence to remember the victims of the mass shooting on Bondi Beach before fireworks lit up the skies at the stroke of midnight.Heavily armed police patrolled the shoreline, packed with hundreds of thousands of people, barely two weeks after 15 people were gunned down at a Jewish festival in Australia’s deadliest mass shooting for almost 30 years.The famed Sydney Harbour Bridge was bathed in white light to symbolise peace.Pacific nations including Kiribati and New Zealand were the first to see in 2026, with Seoul and Tokyo following Sydney in celebrations that make their way around the globe with each passing hour.In Hong Kong, a major New Year fireworks display was cancelled in homage to 161 people killed in a fire in November that engulfed several apartment blocks.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was “10 percent” away from a deal to end the fighting with Russia, soon to reach the four-year mark.Russia’s Vladimir Putin meanwhile used his traditional New Year address to urge his compatriots to believe that Moscow would deliver a victory in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.And Kim Jong Un praised North Korea’s “invincible alliance” with Russia, where Pyongyang has sent troops to assist Moscow.In the Ukrainian city of Vyshgorod, beauty salon manager Daria Lushchyk said the war had made her work “hell” but that her clients were still showing up.”Nothing can stop our Ukrainian girls from coming in and getting themselves glam,” Lushchyk said.- Tariffs and fragile truce -This year has brought a mix of stress and excitement for many, war for others still — and a daring jewel heist at the Louvre.Pop megastar Taylor Swift got engaged to her American football player boyfriend Travis Kelce, and K-pop heartthrobs BTS made their long-awaited return.Trump returned as US president in January, launching a tariff blitz that sent global trade and world stock markets into meltdown.The 79-year-old Republican met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for five meetings in his first year back in office — and hosted the ally at his lavish Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, at a glittering New Year’s Eve party.After two years of war that left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins, pressure from Trump helped land a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October — though both sides have accused each other of flagrant violations.”We bid farewell to 2025 with deep sorrow and grief,” said Gaza City resident Shireen Al-Kayali.”We lost a lot of people and our possessions. We lived a difficult and harsh life, displaced from one city to another, under bombardment and in terror.”In contrast, there was optimism despite abiding internal challenges in Syria, where residents of the capital Damascus celebrated a full year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.”There is no fear, the people are happy, all of Syria is one and united, and God willing… it will be a good year for the people and the wise leadership,” marketing manager Sahar al-Said, 33, told AFP as bells rang in Damascus.In Dubai, thousands queued for up to nine hours for a spectacular fireworks and laser display at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.Revellers popped champagne near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Bulgaria adopted the euro, and huge crowds danced at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party.Crowds packed Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach for what authorities have called the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve party.”A wonderful, unforgettable day,” said partygoer Ayane de Fatima, 30, adding she hoped 2026 would be “free from the bad things happening in the world”.In the US capital, the Washington Monument was lit up as America kicked off its 250th birthday celebration year.And in New York, thousands gathered in freezing temperatures amid tight security for the traditional ball drop in Times Square.Nearby, at an abandoned subway stop near City Hall, Zohran Mamdani — a leftist and persistent thorn in Trump’s side — was sworn in as the city’s first Muslim mayor.- Sports, space and AI -The coming 12 months promise to be full of sports, space and questions over artificial intelligence.Athletes will gather in Italy in February for the Winter Olympics.And for a few weeks in June and July, 48 nations will compete in the biggest football World Cup in history in the United States, Mexico and Canada.NASA is planning a crewed mission to circle the moon during a 10-day flight, more than 50 years since the last Apollo lunar mission.And after years of unbridled enthusiasm, AI is facing scrutiny, and nervous investors are questioning whether the boom might now resemble a market bubble.bur-pbt-cw-sst/ceg/mjw

Zohran Mamdani, the young upstart of the US left, was sworn in Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.After the clocks struck midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop to begin managing the United States’ largest city. He is New York’s first Muslim mayor.His office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises to address the soaring cost of living. “This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani told reporters after taking his oath. But it remains to be seen if Mamdani — virtually unknown a year ago — can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.How Trump behaves could be a decisive factor. The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting “couldn’t have gone better from Mamdani’s perspective.”But he warned their relationship could quickly sour. One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States.Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities.Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a “communist lunatic.”The mayor-elect has said he believes Trump is a fascist.- Block party -Mamdani’s private swearing-in to start his four-year term was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud.A larger, ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall.Mamdani’s team has also organized a block party that it says will enable tens of thousands of people to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway.In a first for the city, Mamdani is using several Korans to be sworn in as mayor — two from his family and one that belonged to Puerto Rico-born Black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.The new job comes with a change of address as he swaps his rent-controlled apartment in the borough of Queens for the luxurious mayor’s residence in Manhattan.Some had wondered if he would move to the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he is doing so mainly for security reasons.Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor. Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden’s government.Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims.As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.

US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a glittering New Year’s Eve party at his lavish Mar-a-Lago resort on Wednesday, according to social media.Netanyahu, who arrived at the US president’s Palm Beach residence on Monday, was spotted alongside tuxedo-clad Trump Wednesday night in a social media post from conservative influencer Michael Solakiewicz.Trump had joked that the Israeli leader could attend the party during meetings Monday to discuss the fragile Gaza ceasefire and other regional geopolitical concerns in the Middle East.The party guest list included Trump’s ardent supporters Rudy Giuliani and Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, along with his sons Eric and Don Jr., and top members of his administration, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, but some White House officials fear Netanyahu is slow-walking the process.This week, Trump downplayed reports of tensions with Netanyahu over the second stage of the ceasefire, saying that Israel had “lived up” to its commitments and that the onus was on Palestinian militant group Hamas.Siding with the Israeli premier, Trump said he was “not concerned about anything that Israel’s doing.”This week’s talks mark the fifth such meeting in the United States since Trump’s return to power this year.

US President Donald Trump piled on criticism Wednesday of a decision to grant Hollywood superstar George Clooney French passports after a junior government official in Paris labelled the move a “double standard”.An official decree seen by AFP on Monday showed that 64-year-old Oscar winner Clooney, his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney and their two children had become French citizens.Trump, whose administration has backed anti-immigration parties in Europe, said that Paris was welcome to the “Ocean’s Eleven” star, a long-term Democratic supporter, fundraiser and a vocal critic of the president.”Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.The news of Clooney and his family becoming French comes ahead of language requirements for citizenship being toughened for everyone else under new immigration rules from January 1.A junior member of President Emmanuel Macron’s government had also criticised the decision to award passports despite Clooney speaking poor French.”Personally, I understand the feeling of some French people of a double standard,” Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior interior minister, told the France Info radio station.”We need to be careful about the message we’re sending.”Her boss, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, and the foreign ministry however defended the decision.The civil code states that “French nationality may be conferred by naturalization, upon the proposal of the minister of foreign affairs, to any French-speaking foreigner who applies for it and who contributes through their distinguished service to France’s influence and the prosperity of its international economic relations.”But Clooney has admitted that his French remains poor despite hundreds of lessons.Under the new immigration rules from Thursday, applicants will need a certificate showing they have a level of French that could get them into a French university. They will also have to pass a civic knowledge test.Clooney has a property in southern France and said he has hailed French privacy laws that keep his family largely protected from international media intrusion.”I love the French culture, your language, even if I’m still bad at it after 400 days of courses,” the actor told RTL radio — in English — in December.His wife, an international human rights lawyer and dual UK-Lebanese national, speaks fluent French.- ‘Meets the conditions’ -Clooney bought the Domaine du Canadel, a former wine estate, near the Provence town of Brignoles, in 2021. He said it is where his family is “happiest”.Nunez, the interior minister, said he was “very happy” with the actor and his family becoming French, saying the country was lucky to have them.The French foreign ministry said the passport allocation for the Clooneys “meets the conditions set by law” for naturalisation.The family “followed a rigorous procedure including security investigations, regulatory naturalization interviews at the prefecture, and the payment of tax stamps,” the ministry added.It highlighted the Clooneys had a French home and they “contribute through their distinguished service to France’s international influence and cultural prestige” through the actor’s role in the film industry.This “can only contribute to maintaining and promoting France’s position in this essential economic sector”, it said.Amal Clooney is “a renowned lawyer” who “regularly collaborates with academic institutions and international organisations based in France”, the ministry added.Around 48,800 people acquired French nationality by decree in 2024, according to interior ministry figures.Clooney is not alone in wanting a French passport.Hollywood director Jim Jarmusch announced on Friday that he was also applying, telling French radio that he wanted “a place to where I can escape the United States”.

Donald Trump joked about quitting as US president if his hosting of the annual Kennedy Center awards went well.But viewership ratings for this year’s annual ceremony plummeted to a record low amid controversy over his takeover of the premier Washington arts complex, to which Trump’s name was added this month.The 2025 awards broadcast on CBS averaged 3.01 million viewers, according to a report from Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data, cited by industry journals Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.The figure was down 25 percent from 2024’s figure of 4.1 million viewers, which was itself a record low and down from 2023’s 4.5 million.Former reality TV star Trump was the first US president to host the awards gala, which this year honored “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone, “Phantom of the Opera” star Michael Crawford, disco legend Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS and country legend George Strait.Since returning to office in January, the 79-year-old Republican has launched a forceful takeover of the center, branding it too “woke” and installing himself as chairman of a hand-picked board.Shortly before the December 23 broadcast of the awards ceremony, which was taped on December 7, Trump took to his Truth Social network to say he was hosting it at the request of “just about everybody.””Tell me what you think of my ‘Master of Ceremony’ abilities. If really good, would you like me to leave the Presidency in order to make ‘hosting’ a full time job?” he posted.The center was renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center earlier this month in a vote by the board that sparked outrage from family members of the late John F. Kennedy.A number of artists including a prominent jazz group and a dance company have since canceled shows at the center to protest the new name.Richard Grenell, the Trump-appointed president of the arts center, denounced the performers canceling shows and said they “were booked by the previous far left leadership.””Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome,” he wrote on X late Monday.According to US media reports, ticket sales have declined since the new board of directors took over.