Earlier this month, President-elect Donald J. Trump offered Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone a job to head up the National Endowment for the Arts.
While Stallone was extremely honored to be offered the position, he politely declined the job, instead choosing to help America’s veterans find jobs.
Breaking: Sylvester Stallone says he is “flattered” to be suggested for NEA job, but won’t be doing it. pic.twitter.com/NIog9IRyai
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) December 19, 2016
While Stallone has formally pulled his name out of consideration for the NEA post, The New York Times is reporting that while advisers for Trump had reached out to Stallone regarding the job, no formal offer had ever been made.
From Conservative Tribune:
In an interview back in January, Stallone went on record praising the then-Republican candidate.
“I love Donald Trump,” he told Variety magazine. “He’s a great Dickensian character. You know what I mean? There are certain people like Arnold, Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life.”
The NEA, which has a budget of $150 million, is currently led by artist and musician Jane Chu, according to the New York Daily News.
In an interview with The Washington Post, the president-elect said that it was up to Congress to “make the determination as to what the spending priorities ought to be” when it came to arts. However, he did add that while education in basic subjects like math, reading and science are “the keys to economic success,” he did add that “a holistic education that includes literature and the arts is just as critical to creating good citizens.”
While Stallone would have been a solid pick to lead the NEA given his decades long career in Hollywood, his dedication to America’s veterans speaks volumes about this character.
Do you agree with Stallone’s decision to pull his name out of consideration for the NEA job in order to help our vets? Share our thoughts below!