Facing a vigorous wave of bipartisan criticism as well as the threat of an unprecedented second impeachment, President Trump sought to use New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick as a human shield this week by offering arguably the greatest coach in NFL history the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Recognizing what was going on, Belichick, who is (or perhaps was) a friend of Trump, not only declined the offer, he drew an undeniable line in the sand, saying in his statement: "Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy.