President Donald Trump sparked fierce backlash Thursday after joking that he wanted the nation’s highest military honor for himself.
Trump made the remark while honoring Global War on Terrorism Medal of Honor recipients at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas.
“I want for myself a Congressional Medal of Honor,” Trump said. “And I’ve studied it; I would give it to myself — I have no problem, but I’m not allowed to. Can you believe it?”
He added that he was “only kidding” before doubling down on the fantasy. “Actually, I’m not kidding,” the president said, as laughter filled the room.
But the moment quickly struck a nerve over social media, with many users voicing their frustration.
“Our five-time draft-dodging President wants to give himself the Medal of Honor,” wrote Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). “It's insulting to every person who has worn the uniform, served their country, and made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh also rejected the suggestion that Trump was merely joking.
“He’s not kidding,” Walsh posted on X. “He’s a sociopath. He’s the king of stolen valor.”
“Of course he’s serious,” The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols added.
Freelance journalist and BBC local radio correspondent Euan MacDonald called Trump a “clown dictator” and argued that Trump regularly transforms serious presidential business into a spectacle.
“Trump is not a politician in the conventional sense,” he told his followers on X. “He’s a reality TV star who turned to politics, and he uses all the lessons he learned in show business to turn the serious business of governance into entertainment.”
New York criminal defense attorney Scott Greenfield delivered a shorter assessment of the moment: “He has no honor.”
Our five-time draft-dodging President wants to give himself the Medal of Honor.
It's insulting to every person who has worn the uniform, served their country, and made the ultimate sacrifice. https://t.co/OEzo1EVIwf
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) September 10, 2026