With just two weeks left in his one-term presidency, Donald Trump is preparing to reward Republican ally Rep. Devin Nunes with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Washington Post was the first to report that Trump plans to give the award to Nunes, who was one of Trump’s “most vocal supporters in his quest to undermine the Justice Department’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.”
The paper says Rep. Jim Jordan, another Republican Trump stalwart, is also slated to be awarded by the outgoing president, but those plans, they report, aren’t yet finalized.
Trump has frequently praised Nunes for his support. “What he’s gone through, and his bravery, he should get a very important medal,” Trump said of the California congressman in 2018 on Fox News.
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Nunes is known for filing frequent and often frivolous lawsuits against newspapers — and even Twitter — in an effort to stifle negative reports about himself. In 2019, he filed a $435 million dollar suit against CNN for reporting that he met with Ukrainian officials with the goal of investigating then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The award of the Medal of Freedom is not listed on Trump’s schedule, but according to CNN, it will happen today.
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There is no confirmation of when Trump will award Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. The Ohio congressman was one of Trump’s most vocal defenders during his impeachment trial early this year.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom was created by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy to honor people “who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
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Trump has awarded the Medal of Freedom to a number of posthumous recipients during his presidency. The first went to Elvis Presley in 2018.
He has also awarded it to NBA legend Jerry West, golfer Tiger Woods and his friend, radio personality Rush Limbaugh.
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