Trump awards highest civilian honor on man who called Hitler a ‘great leader’

Side by side photos of Trump and Lou Holtz

Screenshot / YouTube & Flickr / Robert Pernett

On Thursday, Trump will bestow the highest civilian honor on former Notre Dame college football coach Lou Holtz. Whether Holtz will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his illustrious football career, or because he once called Trump an “outstanding leader,” remains unclear.

Twitter was swift to point out the many stains on the former football coach’s reputation.

Holtz slams immigrants…

A photograph of a children's detention facility

Custom and Border Protection

In a statement on Wednesday, the White House said:

America recognizes Lou Holtz as one of the greatest football coaches of all time for his unmatched accomplishments on the gridiron, but he is also a philanthropist, author, and true American patriot

They failed to mention the occasion that Lou Holtz denounced the “invasion” of immigrants to the United States. During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Holtz came under fire for a lashing anti-immigrant speech, where he condemned the “invasion” of immigrants into the United States. Just in case his position was not already clear, he elaborated:

I don’t want to become you. I don’t want to speak your language, I don’t want to celebrate your holidays, I sure as hell don’t want to cheer for your soccer team!

An outstanding American citizen of the highest order, according to President Trump.

…and called Adolph Hitler a ‘great leader’

A sign with Trump dressed as Hitler

Flickr / Alisdare Hickson

In 2008, Lou Holtz referred to Adolph Hitler as a “great leader.” The comment arose during a discussion of the leadership issues facing then-first year Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

At the time, Holtz claimed the comment was a “mistake,” and that he in fact meant Hitler was a bad leader.

ESPN never took the matter further.

Holtz stood by the controversial Senator Jesse Helms

Jesse Helms holding a watermelon standing between two women

Wikimedia

In 1983, Lou Holtz quit his position as a football coach for the University of Arkansas after being criticized for acting in commercials endorsing Senator Jesse Helms’s re-election to the North Carolina Senate. Helms once called the 1964 Civil Rights Act “the single most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the Congress.” Helms supported segregation, and lead an attempt to block the Federal legislation to create a national holiday in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King.

When it comes to racism, the President has plenty of first-hand experience. Jake Tapper and Obama recently called out Trump for being a racist. For him to overlook Holtz’s record comes as no surprise.

Holtz calls Trump an ‘outstanding leader’

Trump smirking

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

Other reasons that Trump may have chosen to bestow the highest civilian honor on Holtz are the coach calling the President an “outstanding leader,” while slamming Joe Biden for being a Catholic in “name only.”

Twitter has lots to say about the medal ceremony…

Shouldn’t medals of honor be for honorable individuals?

Black and White photo of JFK

Flickr / U.S. Embassy New Delhi

The Presidential Medal of Honor is an award to mark “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Previous medal holders include John F. Kennedy, Pope John Paul XXIII, and Harvey Milk.

For the highest civilian honor to be bestowed on a football coach who has made offensive, racist, and antisemitic statements — that should be clearly unacceptable.

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