An odd scene developed Monday in the Oval Office.
Donald Trump presented legendary wrestler Dan Gable with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House, then walked out on the ceremony. Per the Big Lead:
After Gable received his medal, he gave a speech and then the assembled press tried to ask Trump questions about attending the inauguration of Joe Biden and things of that nature. Trump wanted nothing to do with it and just kind of walked out, looking agitated, leaving Gable and his family hanging in the Oval Office. If the description doesn’t make it sound awkward, just look at Gable’s reaction.
Trump is on a run with handing out the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Last week, he honored College Football Hall of Famer Lou Holtz, who won a national title in 1988 as the head coach at Notre Dame.
During his time in the White House, Trump, the former owner of the New Jersey Generals of the defunct United States Football League, has presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to several sports stars, including New York Yankees Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Babe Ruth, quarterback Roger Staubach, basketball stars Bob Cousy and Jerry West and golfer Tiger Woods.
As for Gable, he certainly has a sports resume on par with the other sports recipients. Per his website:
He was undefeated in 64 prep matches, and was 117-1 at Iowa State University. His only defeat came in the NCAA finals his senior year. … Gable was a two time NCAA National Wrestling Champion and three-time all-American and three-time Big Eight champion. … Gable won a Gold Medal at famed 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich Germany without surrendering a single point. … As the University of Iowa’s all-time winningest coach from 1976 to 1997, Gable won 15 NCAA National Wrestling Team Titles while compiling a career record of 355-21-5, He coached 152 All-Americans, 45 National Champions, 106 Big Ten Champions and 12 Olympians, including four gold, one silver and three bronze medalists. The Hawkeyes won 25 consecutive Big Ten championships, 21 under Gable as head coach and four while he was an assistant coach and administrator. He had a winning percentage of .932 and captured nine consecutive (1978-86) NCAA Championships. At the time that equaled the longest streak of national titles won by any school in any sport, and is also held by Yale golf (1905-13) and Southern Cal track (1935-43).
(NJ Advance Media’s Jonathan Salant contributed to this report.)
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