Dolly Parton rejected Trump’s offer of Presidential Medal of Freedom — twice

Speaking to The Today Show this Monday, country music legend Dolly Parton said she was offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom two times from then-President Trump, but she turned him down on both occasions.

“I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she told host Hoda Kotb.

Aside from her music, Parton has received praise for her charity work. As Business Insider points out, she donated $1 million in November to Vanderbilt University to support coronavirus vaccine research. Before that, she gave $1 million to Vanderbilt to help fund its Monroe Carell Jr. Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. In 1990, she established the Imagine Library which provides one free book a month to children from birth until adulthood. She used the Imagination Library to read bedtime stories to kids who were out of school during the early months of the pandemic.

Parton said she’s been offered the Medal by the newly-minted Biden administration, but she’s still hesitant.

“Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said.

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Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.