Trump To Award Presidential Medal Of Freedom To Elvis Presley, Babe Ruth, And Top GOP Donor Miriam Adelson
The press is now learning about a list of people President Donald Trump is planning to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to, Buzzfeed News is reporting. This medal is considered the highest honor for civilians, and Trump will be giving out a round of medals for the first time on Friday, November 16. Recipients include Elvis Presley, Babe Ruth, and Miriam Adelson. Adelson is one of the top donors to the Republican party and to Trump.
Adelson is a doctor who founded two research centers and is married to billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is also one of the top donors for Trump. The Adelsons reportedly donated $100 million to Republican candidates for the 2018 election cycle. They also donated $20 million dollars to Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, along with $5 million dollars towards his inauguration. This makes them the largest donors in U.S. politics. The couple were reportedly at the White House Tuesday evening to watch the mid-term election results with Trump.
Adelson is not being honored for her donations, however. According to a statement released by the White House, she is being celebrated for her work as a doctor, philanthropist, and humanitarian. It has also been reported that the Adelsons, who openly support many pro-Israel causes, influenced Trump to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, prompting speculation that they may have had a direct influence on government operations through their substantial financial contributions.
In addition to Adelson, Trump is also awarding a medal to Justice Antonin Scalia, the conservative Supreme Court Justice who died in 2016. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch will be also receiving one. Hatch has most recently made headlines during the Brett Kavanaugh trial, after he told a group of female protesters to “grow up.” Other recipients include Justice Alan Page and Roger Staubach, two former NFL players who have done significant charity work. Page was previously inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and then became a judge on the Minnesota Supreme Court. As for Staubach, he is a Vietnam war veteran who won the Super Bowl twice with the Dallas Cowboys.
While this may seem like a lot of people, Obama still holds the title for most medals given out of any president, having awarded a total of 123 people throughout his eight years in office. This is only Trump’s first Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, however, so he has time to catch up to Obama’s grand total.
