In one of the more awkward press situations involving President Donald Trump, a now-viral video shows the outgoing leader abruptly leaving after awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to wrestling legend and 1972 Olympic gold medalist Dan Gable.
People in the Oval Office laughed as the two-time NCAA champion was left with his family, with no explanation of what had happened.
It started as well as could be expected, with Trump congratulating Gable, and then quickly congratulating himself for winning, as he suggests, two presidential elections.
The event lasted about twenty minutes, which Trump awarded the medal and said some pleasantries about Gable, answering a few questions about the election and Rudy Guiliani.
However, it quickly runs off the rails. First, Trump seemed bored and preoccupied throughout the ceremony. Then, once the questions started raining down, he inexplicably left.
Gable, though, wasn’t disappointed with the experience whatsoever; at least, this is what he told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade.
“I think Donald Trump really respects me. He’s always been humbled in front of me. He’s never made me mad,” said the anchor. “He might’ve walked out of the press conference yesterday a little bit perturbed with a couple of newspaper people, but I was having a great time.”
Kilmeade appeared to have a difficult time accepting that Gable was ultimately pleased with the ceremony.
“He left you in the office by yourself with your family!” said the host.
“That’s okay; he didn’t like what was going on,” said Gable. “He said it was about me, and it wasn’t about him, so ‘I’m out of here.'”