Trump says he will award Ben Carson Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will award Ben Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, marking the third such award he has announced since returning to the White House. Trump delivered the remarks during a speech at Mount Vernon for the American Cornerstone Institute, a group founded by Carson.

Carson, 74, is a former neurosurgeon who ran against Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He later served as Housing and Urban Development secretary during Trump’s first term and was Trump’s national faith chairman during last year’s campaign. A staunch social conservative who has opposed abortion rights and same-sex marriage, Carson has remained a popular conservative speaker and author. During the Mount Vernon event, Trump praised Carson and referenced their long association.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established in 1963, is awarded to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, or cultural or other significant public endeavors. Trump has bestowed the honor on 24 people during his first term and has already announced two additional recipients since his return to the White House.

Trump has already signaled two other announcements for this month. He said he would bestow the award on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, two days after his longtime political ally was seriously injured in a car crash. During a Sept. 11 commemoration event at the Pentagon, Trump announced a posthumous Medal of Freedom for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose memorial service Trump plans to attend Sunday in Arizona.

Trump did not provide a date for Carson’s ceremony, and other honorees are already in the pipeline. The announcements reflect a pattern in which the president uses the medal to recognize allies and figures from the conservative movement, though White House officials have not released a schedule for ceremonies.

Carson’s role in the conservative movement and his history with Trump — including their collaboration on faith-based initiatives and political campaigns — frame the potential ceremony as both a personal accolade and a political signal in a crowded field of recognitions.