Donald Trump Says He 'Seriously Thought About' Awarding Himself the Nation's Highest Military Honor

President Donald Trump joked about giving himself and two of his sons the Congressional Medal of Honor during the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota on Wednesday, July 1.

"Now, as I see my two beautiful sons sitting there, I think I’m going to give one to myself, one to them, and we’ll have a threesome," Trump said while looking toward his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

The president of the United States quickly clarified that he was joking, but admitted the idea had crossed his mind.

"No, I’m only kidding," Donald said. "This is dangerous to say, because the fake news is up there all over the place, and when I joke... I learned early on, don’t be sarcastic in politics."

He then added that he had "seriously thought about" remarking.

Donald made the comments as he spoke about General Douglas MacArthur and his father, Arthur MacArthur Jr., who are among the rare father-son pairs to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He also referenced former President Theodore Roosevelt and his son, Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt III, both of whom earned the military decoration.

Donald praised Theodore during the visit.

"He was a great man, and it’s a great place," he said, before adding that he was "getting some ideas" for his own presidential library.

Pointing to his sons, Donald joked that they deserved the honor "for their genius at hunting," while saying he would award himself one "for taking on Russia, Russia, Russia, or something."

Earlier that day, Donald made a similar joke during a private event at the presidential library after donating Theodore’s actual Medal of Honor to its collection.

The medal had previously been displayed in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

"There are very few people who have them. I want to give one to myself, but they tell me I'm not allowed to," Donald said.

He added, "My son over here, both of them, I said Fellas, I'd love to give one of them to me. What have I done, where I deserve it, and they couldn't think of anything. So I'm not happy with them today."

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military award for valor in combat.

It is awarded only to U.S. service members who show exceptional bravery and risk their lives beyond the call of duty in combat or other qualifying military operations.

The award follows a strict review process. Recommendations require detailed documentation of the act of valor, sworn eyewitness statements, and multiple levels of military approval.

While visiting the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Donald toured several exhibits, including displays featuring Theodore’s journals, a campfire exhibit, a train exhibit, and an AI-powered replica of the former president.

He was joined by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Executive Director Robbie Lauf.