First Time in 40 Years: President and First Lady Skip Kennedy Center Honors

It's one of the biggest nights of the year in Washington, but both President Trump and the first lady stayed away from the annual Kennedy Center Honors. For the first time in 40 years, neither the sitting president nor the first lady attended the prestigious ceremony. This year, the presidential box was “reconfigured so there would be no empty spaces,” according to the Kennedy Center. Honorees for 2017 included Gloria Estefan, Lionel Richie, Norman Lear, LL Cool J, and Carmen de Lavallade.