President Trump and Melania Trump will skip the Kennedy Center Honors, again

Cydney Henderson | USA TODAY

President Donald Trump is skipping the Kennedy Center Honors, again.

For the second year in a row, Trump and his wife Melania will not attend the event meant to honor contributions to American culture on Dec. 2, Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Grisham confirmed to USA TODAY that the Trumps turned down the invitation due to scheduling conflicts. Trump is scheduled to travel to Argentina at the end of the month to participate in the G20 summit.

Several of this year's honorees, including vocal Trump critics Lin-Manuel Miranda and Cher, might not mind the president's absence. In fact, Cher said she wished to receive the prestigious honor "so badly" during the Obama administration, and told the Associated Press that she would be "thrilled" if Trump didn't attend.

Related: Cher wanted to be a Kennedy Center honoree 'so badly' when Obama was president

Cher 'thrilled' Trump may not be at Kennedy Center Honors Cher says she wished she got the Kennedy Center Honor during President Obama's time in office, and muses on whether #MeToo will have a great impact on the showbiz industry in the long run. (Sept. 28)

Other honorees include country music star Reba McEntire, composer Phillip Glass and jazz legend Wayne Shorter.

Manuel will receive a special "trailblazer" honor for the musical sensation "Hamilton," along with director Thomas Kail, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and music director Alex Lacamoire. They will be recognized for their “groundbreaking work” on the hip-hop musical about the country’s founding fathers, a first in the Kennedy Center's 41-year history.

The show will air Wednesday, Dec. 26 (8 p.m., EDT/PDT) on its longtime broadcast home, CBS.

Related: Reba McEntire, Cher and 'Hamilton' among Kennedy Center Honorees

Trump is not the first president to skip the Kennedy Center event — Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter also missed ceremonies during their presidencies — but he is the first sitting president to miss two events.

Last year, the White House announced the president and first lady would skip the gala "to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction" after honoree Norman Lear vowed to boycott the event if Trump was present.

The 2017 honorees included dancer Carmen de Lavallade, singers Gloria Estefan and Lionel Richie, rapper LL Cool J and Lear, a TV writer and producer.

Contributing: The Associated Press