On the surface, this seemed like one of the least controversial parts of Donald Trump’s week.
President Donald Trump on Thursday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to basketball legend Jerry West.
At a White House ceremony, Trump praised West — whose iconic dribble can be seen on the logo for the National Basketball Association — as an “extraordinary American” for his achievements on and off the court, saying the nation’s highest civilian honor was a “richly deserved” award.
So far, so good. It’s tough for a president to screw up a Medal of Freedom presentation, since it generally involves saying nice things about a prominent American. Even for Trump, this should be a piece of cake.
But it wasn’t. After welcoming people to the event, the president started reading Jerry West’s biographical information, including the fact that he was born and raised in West Virginia. At that point, Trump strayed from his prepared remarks and turned to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who was also in attendance.
“I shouldn’t say this, Joe, but I won it by 43 points,” Trump told the senator, referring to West Virginia. “That’s a lot.”
Turning back to Jerry West, the president added, “We love West Virginia. Probably helped you getting this award today.”
Trump was almost certainly kidding, though the joke was rooted in the idea that if West had been born and raised in a blue state, he’d be less likely to receive the Medal of Freedom.
Even at an award ceremony intended to honor someone else, Trump’s thoughts turned to Trump — and how impressed he is with himself.









