There was a time when talent and perseverance meant something in this country—when artists were celebrated for what they accomplished, not sidelined for failing to check the right ideological boxes. But today, cultural recognition is too often twisted into another battleground of partisan resentment. Rather than applauding decades of influence, the media all too eagerly tears down those it deems politically inconvenient. Case in point: the left’s reaction to Gloria Gaynor’s Kennedy Center honor.
On Thursday, for example, Ana Navarro of “The View” went so far as to plead with Gaynor to reject her upcoming award simply because it will be bestowed by President Donald Trump.
“Look, the woman is a goddess and deserves all the flowers that come her way. But I wish she wouldn’t accept an award from the hands of a man who has attacked the rights and history of women, people of color, and LGBTQ,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
In other words, Navarro was triggered by the fact that the award undermined the “Trump is racist” narrative.
While some called on Gaynor to reject the award, others claimed she didn’t deserve it.
During a segment on CNN’s “This Morning Weekend,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Tia Mitchell, who is black, criticized the Kennedy Center’s decision to honor Gloria Gaynor, implying the selection was politically motivated.
“There was a robust conversation during the break about the selection of Gloria Gaynor,” anchor Victor Blackwell noted before turning to Mitchell for her perspective.
Mitchell argued, “I just, I do believe as much as the Trump administration has attacked DEI, I think they wanted a person of color on the list of Kennedy Center honorees. And to me, the fact that Gloria Ga- Gloria Gaynor is the one person of color on the list indicates that they struggled to find a person of color who would agree to be on the list.”
She also dismissed Gaynor’s accomplishments: “Because she doesn’t have a huge body of work, which is what the Kennedy Center usually picks, is people who are icons in their genre of, um, of the arts, and she’s basically a one-hit wonder.”
Some dipshit named Tia Mitchell went on CNN to say legendary singer Gloria Gaynor doesn’t deserve to be a Kennedy Center Honoree and only chosen because she’s Black
Liberal “journalists” will twist an inspiring story because it involves Pres. Trump
Total TDS@ajconwashington pic.twitter.com/Je4Jfa1aMU
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) August 17, 2025
Mitchell’s critique couldn’t be further from the truth. Gaynor may be before my time, but it took no time at all for me to research her career and debunk the claim that Gaynor is a one-hit wonder who didn’t deserve to be awarded.
She began her professional career in the 1960s with the jazz and R&B band the Soul Satisfiers and signed with Columbia Records in 1975. Her album “Never Can Say Goodbye” produced multiple hits, including “Honey Bee” and the title track, showcasing her versatility and helping define the disco sound.
Her 1978 album “Love Tracks” featured “I Will Survive,” which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980. Beyond disco, Gaynor shifted into gospel music with her 2019 album “Testimony,” which won the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album and earned her a nomination for Best Gospel Performance/Song for the track “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus.”
Her influence has been recognized with inductions into both the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as a groundbreaking artist who has inspired generations of performers and audiences alike.
Mitchell’s attempt to frame Gaynor’s honor as a political stunt ignores decades of achievement, cultural impact, and recognition. Reducing her to a “one-hit wonder” not only misrepresents her career but also undermines the significance of the Kennedy Center’s honor.
The real lens through which Mitchell’s criticism should be viewed is clear: Trump Derangement Syndrome. Her insistence that the selection of Gaynor was politically motivated reflects a broader pattern of left-wing media hostility toward anything even remotely connected to the Trump administration. Gaynor’s decades-long contributions to music are ignored, minimized, or dismissed simply because the honoree list exists under a political climate Mitchell opposes.
This reflects a media culture that increasingly evaluates cultural achievements not on talent or legacy, but through the lens of left-wing gatekeeping. From urging Gaynor to reject the award to dismissing her as a “one hit wonder” and framing her honor as a political token, the left shows how Trump Derangement Syndrome has seeped into every corner of its worldview.
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