President Donald Trump, 80, made a bizarre joke about 'having a threesome' with his two 'beautiful' sons during a Congressional Medal of Honor ceremony at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. The comment came as he suggested awarding himself and one of his sons the nation's highest military decoration.
Context of the Joke
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Trump noted that only two father-son pairs have ever received the Medal of Honor: Arthur and Douglas MacArthur, and Theodore Roosevelt and his son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. He then quipped: 'As I see my two beautiful sons sitting there, I think I'm going to give one to myself and one to them and we'll have a threesome.' He added, 'I'll pick out one of the two. I'll give them the congressional medal of honor for something... for their genius at hunting. I'll get one for taking on Russia, Russia, Russia or something. We'll have a third pair.'
Reaction and Clarification
Trump quickly attempted to walk back the remark, saying: 'No, I'm only kidding... this is dangerous to say because the fake news is up there. They're all over the place.' The Medal of Honor is intended to honor service members who distinguish themselves in combat 'conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.'
Previous Self-Award Comments
Earlier in the event, Trump had suggested he wanted to award himself the medal, telling the gathering: 'I want to give one to myself, but they tell me I'm not allowed to. My son over here, both of them. I said 'I'd love to give one of them to me, what have I done to deserve it?' And they couldn't think of anything, so I'm not happy with them today.'
Historical Father-Son Medal of Honor Recipients
The first father-son pair to win the medal are Arthur and Douglas MacArthur. Arthur earned the award for actions during the Civil War, while Douglas earned it for 'preparing the Philippine Islands to resist conquest' during World War II. Theodore Roosevelt is the only president to have received the Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously in 2001 by President Bill Clinton for leading a charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. His son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., was awarded the medal for his actions on D-Day during World War II. His citation reads: 'His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice.'
