President Donald Trump said Saturday that he will award Ben Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, the third such award he's announced this month.
“Congratulations, Ben. He didn't know this,” Trump said in a speech during an event at Mount Vernon for American Cornerstone Institute, founded by Carson. "He didn't know it. I hope he’s happy.”
A former neurosurgeon who ran against Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Carson, 74, went on to serve as Housing and Urban Development secretary during Trump's first administration.
The one-time rivals developed a strong bond, and Carson — seen at one point as among the top contenders for Trump's running mate in the 2024 campaign — served as Trump's national faith chairman during last year's race.
A staunch social conservative who has opposed abortion rights and same-sex marriage, Carson has become a popular conservative speaker and author.
The Medal of Freedom, established in 1963, is awarded to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, or cultural or other significant public endeavors.
Trump bestowed the honor on 24 people during his first term and has already announced two other recipients since his return to the White House. Trump mentioned no date for giving the honor to Carson, but other honorees are already in the pipeline.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.