Report: Donald Trump to give Medal of Freedom to Bill Belichick despite chaos in Washington
Despite a tumultuous and deadly week in Washington, President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to award New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Belichick, a White House official told Politico on Sunday, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday.
That ceremony will come after a chaotic week in D.C., in which five people died after pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building and rioted following Trump’s latest false claims about election fraud. The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on impeaching Trump a second time as early as Tuesday.
Trump — who awarded the medal to golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player one day after the horrific attacks on the Capitol last week — will also provide the medal to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Monday.
Belichick to receive Medal of Freedom
Both Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft are longtime friends of Trump. The team visited him at the White House after their Super Bowl win in 2017, which is common practice after winning a title, but skipped the ceremony in 2019.
Belichick is generally extremely quiet about his political views — and with anything that doesn’t have to do with football in general. However, he wrote a letter supporting Trump during the 2016 election, and most recently spoke out against the Armenian Genocide in November, which marked a rare moment for the 68-year-old.
Still, Trump is a big fan of Belichick and praised the longtime Patriots coach in a radio interview in August.
“[Belichick is] a very good friend of mine. He’s a winner,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt in August, via Politico. “You know, if I ever had a military battle, I’d call up Belichick and say, ‘What do you think? What do you think? Give me a couple of ideas.’”
Belichick wrapped up his 21st season with the Patriots, where he has compiled a 244-92 record while leading the franchise to six Super Bowl wins. He will be the latest sports figure to accept the Medal of Freedom from Trump, joining wrestling legend Dan Gable, college football coach Lou Holtz, NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West and golf icon Tiger Woods, among others.
The Patriots did not respond to Politico’s request for comment, and have not confirmed if Belichick will attend the ceremony at the White House.
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