{"id":14332,"date":"2018-11-17T16:05:45","date_gmt":"2018-11-17T16:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=14332"},"modified":"2018-11-17T16:05:45","modified_gmt":"2018-11-17T16:05:45","slug":"what-trumps-picks-for-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom-say-about-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/what-trumps-picks-for-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom-say-about-him\/","title":{"rendered":"What Trump’s picks for the Presidential Medal of Freedom say about him"},"content":{"rendered":"

E. Fletcher McClellan<\/a>, Elizabethtown College<\/a><\/em>; Christopher Devine<\/a>, University of Dayton<\/a><\/em>, and Kyle C. Kopko<\/a>, Elizabethtown College<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

President Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Nov. 16 to recipients including<\/a> Babe Ruth, Elvis Presley, Antonin Scalia, Orrin Hatch, Roger Staubach, Alan Page and Miriam Adelson. It is the nation\u2019s highest civilian honor.<\/p>\n

These ceremonies, which normally occur once or twice per year, provide Americans with an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of various people who have made an important contribution to U.S. culture. Because the president selects recipients with total discretion \u2013 American or otherwise, living or dead \u2013- this award also says a lot about the president himself.<\/p>\n

What achievements or contributions does the president consider important? What groups of people most easily win his favor? And how does he hope to shape his legacy, judging by the company that he chooses to keep? <\/p>\n

To find out, we\u2019ve analyzed every Presidential Medal of Freedom ever awarded, and the presidents who awarded them \u2013 including Trump.<\/p>\n

What is the Presidential Medal of Freedom?<\/h2>\n

The award was established by President John F. Kennedy<\/a>, in 1963, to recognize \u201cany person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.\u201d <\/p>\n

As a unilateral power of the executive branch, presidents have broad discretion to choose recipients. But presidents often use the award for political purposes \u2013 to gain positive media attention, shape their legacy or reward their supporters.<\/p>\n