Overview
- At a steel plant event in Rome, Georgia, Trump recounted his 2018 visit to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq while discussing his record on the economy.
- He told the crowd he was "extremely brave" and said he might "test the law" to give himself the Congressional Medal of Honor.
- He also described the remark as a joke and said he was "having fun," predicting "fake news" would seize on it.
- The Medal of Honor is presented on behalf of Congress to service members for valor above and beyond duty, and Trump has never served in the military, having received Vietnam-era draft deferments.
- The comment drew swift online criticism from commentators, and reporting notes no concrete move to pursue the award as he continues to spotlight high-profile honors, including accepting María Corina Machado’s Nobel medallion last month.