Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom

The President. Thank you very much. Please. It's a great honor. Melania and I are thrilled to welcome you to the White House as we honor the recipients of our Nation's highest civilian honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, something very, very special.

We are joined today by many members of my administration, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Hello, Mike. Steve Mnuchin. Steve, thank you very much. Wilbur Ross, Alex Acosta, Matt Whittaker—Matt. Ben Carson, Betsy DeVos, Administrator Linda McMahon, Ambassador Lighthizer, and Acting Administrator—who, I will tell you, is going to be made permanent—he's done a fantastic job, and I want to congratulate him—EPA—Andrew Wheeler. Where's Andrew? Congratulations, Andrew. Great job. Great job. Thank you very much.

Thank you as well to Senator Amy Klobuchar for being here. Where is Amy, by the way? Where is Amy? I did better before, Amy.

And for five decades—I have to say—the Presidential Medal of Freedom has been given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to American life and culture.

This year, it is my true privilege to award this honor to seven extraordinary Americans: Senator Orrin Hatch; the late, great Justice Antonin Scalia; Miriam Adelson; Roger Staubach; Alan Page; and two more recipients who are no longer with us, but whose legacies will live on forever—legendary Babe Ruth, legendary Elvis Presley. True legends.

The first recipient is one of the longest serving and most respected Senators in American history, Senator Orrin Hatch, a friend of mine, great friend of mine. He liked me right from the beginning, and therefore, I like him. [Laughter] That helps. It's the way it is. I guess I'm not supposed to say it, but that's the way life works, right? [Laughter]

For the last 42 years, Senator Hatch has proudly represented the people of Utah, sponsoring more bills that have become law than any living legislator. From rewriting our Tax Code, to helping just hard-working Americans get through life, to reshaping our courts to uphold the vision of our Founders, to protecting the religious freedom of all Americans, his achievements are too numerous to count.

Senator Hatch is a true American statesman. Today Senator Hatch is joined by his incredible family: the love of his life, Elaine—they have been married for 61 years; along with their six children, Brent, Marcia, Scott, Kimberly, Alysa, and Jesse. Congratulations. Please stand up. Congratulations to you all. Thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations to you all. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you.

The second recipient we honor today is one of the greatest—truly was one of the greatest—jurists ever to serve our country: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Universally admired for his towering intellect, brilliant wit, and fierce devotion to our founding principles, Justice Scalia has made a deep and lasting impact on the history of our Nation. His presence is dearly missed by all. Friend of a lot of people. Truly great intellect.

Justice Scalia transformed the American legal landscape, igniting a national movement to apply the original meaning of the Constitution as written. Few have done more to uphold this Nation's founding charter. Through nearly 900 written opinions and more than 30 years on the bench, Justice Scalia defended the American system of government and preserved the foundations of American freedom. Our whole Nation is indeed indebted to Justice Scalia for his lifetime of noble and truly incredible service.

Joining us for this ceremony is his wife Maureen—who's become a great friend of my family and myself—and their nine children: Ann, Gene, John, Catherine, Mary Clare, Paul, Matthew, Christopher, and Meg. You were very busy. Wow. [Laughter] Wow. I always knew I liked him. [Laughter]

Also here are several of Justice Scalia's former colleagues—and very respected ones at that. It's a personal tribute that they are giving to their friend. Chief Justice Roberts, where are—thank you very much. Thank you. Justice Ginsburg—glad to see you're feeling great. Justice Alito, thank you. Justice Kagan, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice Kavanaugh, thank you very much. That's a great honor—looking down and saying thank you very much.

Our next Medal of Freedom recipient is a renowned philanthropist, somebody who has worked so hard. Doesn't have to do it, but she does. Twenty-four hours a day, this is what she does. Miriam Adelson.

A medical doctor, Miriam has dedicated her life to fighting addiction, something we're all becoming all too familiar with. Through decades of innovative research, philanthropy, and treatment, Miriam has helped thousands break free from their addiction to drugs and to alcohol.

In 2006, Miriam and her husband Sheldon, who is with us today—thank you, Sheldon—established the Adelson Medical Research Foundation to prevent, reduce, or eliminate life-threatening diseases.

To protect the sacred heritage of the Jewish faith, Miriam and Sheldon have supported Jewish schools, Holocaust Memorial organizations, and helped Jewish Americans visit the Holy Land. Miriam, I want to thank you very much for saving so many lives and helping so many people to get back to a normal way of life. You've been incredible. I know the work you've done. And you have been truly incredible.

Here to celebrate Miriam's award is Sheldon. Where is Sheldon? Where is Sheldon? Where is he? There he is. Oh, why—well you didn't get—you didn't make the front row. He's probably angry. [Laughter] Thank you, Sheldon. And their children Sivan, Yasmin, Adam, Matan, as well as their son-in-law Patrick. Thank you all for being here. Please stand up. Thank you. Thank you very much. Congratulations. Congratulations.

And they were very happy to see the Embassy move to Jerusalem. They were very happy about that. So congratulations on that also. They fought very hard for that, capital of Israel.

Our next recipient of the Medal of Freedom is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I used to watch him when I was going to school, and I'd say: "They can't catch him. He's just better by far than everybody else." [Laughter] He is something. The winner of the Heisman Trophy, Roger Staubach.

As a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, Roger set 28 football records. Upon graduation, he volunteered to deploy to Vietnam for 1 year and served in the Navy for a total of 4 years. At the age of 27—which is a little late—he began his NFL career, and what a career it was. Over the next 11 seasons, Roger led the Dallas Cowboys to four Super Bowls and earned Pro Bowl honors six times. His exceptional talent earned Roger a place in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And I have to tell you, I had a golf match where Roger was my partner. And we were in deep trouble—[laughter]—and Roger was also in deep trouble. He was so deep in the weeds that you wouldn't believe it. [Laughter] And we desperately needed a par on the 18th hole to win. And he came out and hit his shot—I don't know how it happened, but he was this far from the hole. We got our par; we won. And I said, "That's Roger Staubach." [Laughter] I hope you remember that, Roger. Huh? That was quite exciting.

Roger and Marianne, his wife of 53 years, have generously supported thousands of Americans in need, including students, military families, and our truly great veterans. So helpful. Roger, you inspire Americans across the country to work hard, dream big, and always push on to victory.

Roger became a great financial success—a very successful businessman—after his football career. His family is with us for this special ceremony: Marianne and their five children, Jennifer, Michelle, Stephanie, Jeff, and Amy. Please stand up. Please. Please stand up. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Our next Medal of Freedom recipient is American football legend—and he was indeed a legend; he was tough, strong. A Minnesota Supreme Court Justice—he became a Supreme Court Justice also. So he's only nervous with all of these U.S. Supreme Court Justices. [Laughter] Justice Alan Page, a very special man.

A College Football Hall of Famer, Alan helped Notre Dame secure the National Championship in 1966. He went on to have a 15-year NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. He became the first—and one of the only—defensive players to earn the league's MVP award. That happens very, very seldom.

While Alan was still playing for the Vikings, he went to law school and earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. In 1993, he became the first African American Justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, where he served for more than two decades. That's very impressive. What do you think? That's a very impressive job. Really, it is. Thank you, Alan.

Alan and his wife Diane founded the Page Education Foundation, which has provided nearly 7,000 scholarships to civic-minded students. Sadly, 1 month ago, Diane passed away after a heroic struggle with cancer. Said to be a great woman. Alan, we know that the goodness, grace, and hope that Diane brought into our world will live on for many generations to come. She is looking down on you right now, and she is so proud with love. She is so proud of you.

Alan is joined today by three of their children: Georgianna, Justin, and Kamie. Please stand up. Please stand up. Thank you. Thank you. That's a great honor. Thank you.

It is also my honor today to award the Medal of Freedom to one of the most celebrated sports heroes in world history. The "Sultan of Swat," the "Great Bambino"—[laughter]—the one and only Babe Ruth. He truly is—when you think—I mean, let's face it, Babe Ruth is Babe Ruth. [Laughter] Right?

George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr.—he was a "junior"—I can imagine what his father was like—[laughter]—he must have been tough—lived from 1895 to 1948, learning the game of baseball from Catholic Brothers at his orphanage. At the age of 19, he was signed by the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher and soon became one of the best pitchers in baseball. People don't know that. Babe Ruth was one of the best pitchers. He still has records today.

In 1920, he started with the New York Yankees. And I have heard for many years: What's the worst trade in the history of sports? Babe Ruth, 19-year-old pitcher, for $100,000 and a 35-year-old third baseman. That was not a good trade—who was out of baseball the following season. That was not good. Of course, $100,000 is probably like $25 million today, but it was still a lousy deal. [Laughter]

But he became one of the greatest hitters of all time. They drafted him. They took him as a pitcher, but they knew they wanted to make him a hitter. In fact, we have George Steinbrenner IV—George Steinbrenner was one of my best friends. He was tough. He was tough, but he was good. Where is George Steinbrenner IV, his grandson? He's here someplace. Where is he? Thank you very much. Would you say hello to the family? That's very nice that you're here. Please.

George was a real piece of work, I have to tell you that. [Laughter] Your grandfather was very difficult, but he was good. He had a good heart. [Laughter] Sitting with George during the playoffs, as I often had to do, was like you'd go home exhausted. [Laughter] It was exhausting. So thank you for being here. Thank you very much.

The Babe hit 714 homeruns, a record that stood for nearly 40 years. And people often would say that was a somewhat dead ball; it didn't have the life the ball has today. He would often hit more homeruns in a season than the league average for an entire team and, in one season, hit more homeruns than the entire American League. How do you do that? To this day, his career slugging percentage of .690 remains the highest in the history of baseball. Hard to believe, actually.

The Babe was also known for his devotion to our Nation and its children. He visited countless children in hospitals and orphanages, supported more than 100 charities, raised money and raised hell. He was—maybe that's why it's taken him a long time to get this award. This award should have been given to him a long time ago. [Laughter] I said, "You mean Babe Ruth hasn't gotten it?" We took care of that real fast. [Laughter] But he was incredible. But he raised a lot of money for the war effort during World War II.

As we honor the legend who enshrined baseball as "America's Pastime," we are excited to be joined by a number of Babe Ruth's descendants, including his grandchildren Donna Analovitch and Tom Stevens. And I want to thank you very much for being here. Please stand up. Please. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Tom.

Our final Medal of Freedom—and here's another one who's just very incredible—today goes to one of the most beloved artists and most enduring cultural icons that has ever lived. The "King of Rock and Roll"—the true king, and you have to say that—Elvis Aaron Presley.

[At this point, Mr. Presley's recording of "How Great Thou Art" was played.]

That was Elvis. That was my idea. I said, "Give me a little song." [Laughter] That was, I guess, a little promotional ability. But I will tell you, he was something special. I'd like to hear the rest of the song. I don't know why they cut it off so short. [Laughter] They have no promotional ability, that's why. [Laughter]

Growing up from humble beginnings in Mississippi, Elvis lived from 1935 to 1977 and first rose to fame with the 1954 single, "That's All Right," recorded at the fabled Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Great place. He soon skyrocketed to international stardom, recording over three decades of unforgettable hits, from "Heartbreak Hotel," to "Suspicious Minds," to "Burning Love." Elvis also won three Grammys for his gospel recordings, which were incredible, including his soaring live performance of "How Great Thou Art"—just got to hear a little piece of.

Deeply patriotic, Elvis served in the United States military at the height of his fame. He had a choice. And to him, it wasn't a choice.

Presley starred in more than 30 films. And his 1973 television special, "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii," was viewed by more than a billion people around the world, one of the highest ever in the history of television.

After redefining music in the fifties and redefining cinema in the sixties, "The King"—as he was known by everybody; everybody, to this day, they call him "The King"—revolutionized live performances in the 1970s. From the moment Elvis walked on the stage to the closing chords of "Can't Help Falling in Love," crowds were enraptured by Elvis's electric performances and unbreakable bond with his fans.

In fact, at the end of a performance, oftentimes the fans would go so wild—I was there once in Las Vegas, at the Hilton. The fans were ripping the place apart, screaming. They were going crazy. And they announced, "Elvis has left the house. Elvis"—if they didn't say that, I think I'd still be there. Maybe I wouldn't be here. [Laughter] But they had to do that. "Elvis has gone. Elvis has left."

Today we are glad to be joined by president and CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Jack Soden. Jack, thank you very much.

I want to congratulate all of this year's recipients and family members and loved ones. America is blessed to have the most skill, passion, and talent anywhere on Earth. We are truly a great Nation, and we're a Nation that is doing really, really well right now. We have our greatest economy ever. We have our greatest employment numbers ever. We're doing well. And we're proud to be doing so well.

And I'd like to now ask the Military Aide to come forward and read the citations for each recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Thank you.

[Cmdr. Jeffrey C. Fassbender, USN, Navy Aide to the President, read the citations, and the President presented the medals, assisted by Maj. Rogelio Maese, USMC, Marine Corps Aide to the President.]

The President. I just want to thank everybody. These are outstanding individuals, and we are so proud to have them represent us for so many years. And it's a great honor to have everybody with us.

And on behalf of the First Lady Melania, myself, thank you all for being here. This has been extraordinary. Thank you very much. Thank you.