The Associated Press confirmed a report by Politico that Donald Trump is set to give New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday.
The ceremony would come exactly eight days after a Trump-fueled mob led an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, causing the death of at least five people. And it would come exactly six days before he leaves office when Joe Biden is inaugurated as the nation’s 46th president.
USA Today’s Mike Freeman slammed Trump for playing politics with the nation’s highest civilian honor.