Donald Trump Eyes Highest Military Medal Despite Avoiding Draft: 'I Flew to Iraq and Was Extremely Brave'

Fresh off receiving a slew of fake medals and awards, President Donald Trump expressed a desire to present himself with the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor — the United States' highest and most prestigious military decoration for valor in combat.

In what critics called yet another meandering speech in Georgia on Thursday, February 19, Trump said he tried to award himself the medal after visiting Iraq in his first term but was talked out of it by his advisers.

“I’ve given out so many to guys that are seriously brave — I mean, they come in with — the arms are missing, the legs are missing, the stories are so unbelievable,” Trump said.

“And I said: ‘it’s a little stretch if I gave myself one of them,’ but it’s one of those things — someday I’m going to try," admitted the president, who has campaigned relentlessly for the Nobel Peace Prize he's yet to win.

Trump, who never served in the military, would never be eligible for such an honor, but that pesky detail didn’t seem to faze him.

“I flew to Iraq and was extremely brave. In fact, so brave I wanted to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor. I said to my people: am I allowed to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor?” he mused.

The draft-dodging president waxed delusional on the idea, joking,“I’m going to test the law, I’m going to say… let’s give it a shot. Maybe I’ll win in court after everyone sues me."

Trump later said he was only kidding and “having fun,” though members of the military who have lost their limbs or family members of those who have lost their lives most certainly didn’t find anything humurous about the comments.

The Veterans of Foreign War later released a statement describing Trump’s comments as “asinine” and emphasized that the award is "more sacred" because it represents gallantry and sacrifice, often at the cost of lives, and should not be treated lightly.

Many veterans expressed outrage on social media and through news outlets, calling the comments "insulting" and "indefensible," noting the president never served in the military and only visited the Al Asad Air Base for a few hours in 2018.

“The fake news will say ‘Donald Trump wants to give himself the Congressional Medal of Honor but he was rebuffed by the audience who stood up and booed the h--- out of him,” Trump said.

Trump received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War, four for education and one for medical reasons. In 1968, he said he was diagnosed with bone spurs in his heels, providing a final medical exemption.

While Trump later cited a high lottery number for not being drafted, records indicate his exemption was in place before the 1969 lottery.

Trump has accepted several, largely symbolic or newly created "awards" from specific organizations, which critics labeled as "made-up" or "bogus." These included the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal" award from a coal industry group and a "FIFA Peace Prize,” all which have been widely mocked.