WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will award Ben Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“Congratulations, Ben. He didn’t know this,” Trump said during an event at Mount Vernon for the American Cornerstone Institute, founded by Carson. “He didn’t know it. I hope he’s happy.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the U.S. government’s highest civilian honor, and is often presented to individuals “to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science or other fields,” according to Congress.
This is the third such award the president has announced this month. He announced on Sept. 1 that he was awarding former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The president announced on Sept. 11 that Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand and founder of Turning Point USA, would receive the award posthumously, as he was assassinated one day prior.
Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 24 people total during his first term, including golf superstar Tiger Woods and Sen. Orrin Hatch, one of the longest-serving senators in American history.
The backstory:
Ben Carson is a former neurosurgeon who ran against Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He ended up serving as Housing and Urban Development secretary during Trump’s first administration.
Carson was also on the shortlist to be Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign before the role ultimately went to Vice President J.D. Vance.
Carson spoke Sunday at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, as well.
The Source: Information above was sourced from the Associated Press, FOX News, Congress, FOX 5 NY and White House archives.