US President Donald Trump watches the presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Celtic basketball legend Bob Cousy at the White House Oval Office in Washington, DC on August 22, 2019.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Less than a day after his supporters revolted in the Capitol, President Donald Trump would present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to three professional golfers, a White House official told CNBC on Thursday.
The medals will be awarded to Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player, who are retired, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who died in 1956 and will receive a posthumous medal.
Trump, who in his last public appearance on Wednesday urged Vice President Mike Pence to reject the results of the election, will present the medals in a closed-door ceremony, the official confirmed.
Those comments to supporters at a rally outside the White House came just before a joint session of Congress convened to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Pence, who chaired the event, rejected Trump’s demands to reject legally cast electoral votes.
Trump supporters swarmed the Capitol, broke through rows of law enforcement officers and invaded the halls of Congress. The riots forced the proceedings to a halt, along with lockdowns and evacuations. The National Guard was activated to respond to the attack. At least four people died and numerous injuries were reported.
Congress re-convened that evening and finally confirmed Biden’s victory on Thursday after 3am.
The President Medal of Freedom is the country’s highest civilian honor. It recognizes individuals who have “made a particularly meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other important public or private endeavors.”
The three recipients on Thursday, along with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Charlie Sifford and Tiger Woods, will be the only golfers to receive the award, according to NBC’s Golf Channel, which first reported Thursday’s awards ceremony.
Trump is an avid golfer and his company, the Trump Organization, owns numerous golf club resorts. The president has visited those clubs hundreds of times during his tenure.
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