# All he had to do was present a medal...but noooooo
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [December 8, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537 "2020-12-08T04:04:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/1 "2020-12-08T04:04:40Z")
Donald Trump Walked Out of Dan Gable’s Medal of Freedom Ceremony Rather Than Talk to the Press
Check out the reaction from the medal recipient 😮
[Donald Trump Walked Out of Dan Gable’s Medal of Freedom Ceremony Rather Than Talk to the Press (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-walked-out-of-dan-gable-s-medal-of-freedom-ceremony-rather-than-talk-to-the-press/ar-BB1bIJBa?ocid=uxbndlbing)
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/2 "2020-12-08T04:14:22Z")
Awful, but in this case I don’t blame Trump as much as I blame the event organizers. What happened was extremely predictable. How did they not realize that (a) the press would ask Trump provocative questions; and (b) Trump would walk out on them? Any idiot could have seen that coming.
There should have been folks there who immediately stepped up to say, loudly and clearly, “thank you all so much for attending this event, there will be no more photos now; please exit to the right” (or some such thing) and then various people should have been on hand to politely usher out Gable and family out or to wherever they’d be going next (a pleasant reception room with some nice hot d’oevres?).
I was responsible for overseeing such events in some of my more loathsome past job responsibilities, and I can assure everyone that, without regard to political views, the “big wigs” in the room are not responsible for making things run smoothly. At best, someone else makes a plan that they graciously follow. But when that doesn’t happen, you and your staff pick up the slack.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/3 "2020-12-08T04:15:48Z")
Except that it looks like he was already heading out the door when the question was asked.
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### Author:  [@Enjoy\_Slurm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enjoy_Slurm)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/4 "2020-12-08T04:15:55Z")
But he did present the medal. So what’s with the title?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/5 "2020-12-08T04:18:19Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> (a pleasant reception room with some nice hot d’oevres?).-
A cheap plastic folding table with hamberders.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/6 "2020-12-08T04:19:45Z")
A circumstance that was quite predictable and should have been prepared for.
Not that I necessarily blame the folks around Trump for doing a piss-poor job. I’m sure it’s not the world’s greatest job right now (although I blame all of them for taking such positions in the first place). Still, the people who are hurt are Gable and family. The classy thing to do would have been to arrange matters so that they were not left hanging.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/7 "2020-12-08T04:21:08Z")
This was not about Gable receiving the medal-It was all about Trump _presenting_ the medal.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/8 "2020-12-08T04:22:50Z")
And I also don’t feel too bad for Gable - if I were offered the Medal of Freedom right now and the deal was that Trump would present it to me, I’d refuse it. Hard to feel sorry for someone who’d actually show up to be honored by His Orangeness.
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### Author:  [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/9 "2020-12-08T13:40:01Z")
This is the Medal of Freedom, not the Medal of Honor. In most cases you either need to be a hard core supporter or be dead (see: Ruth, Babe) to qualify.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/10 "2020-12-08T14:44:42Z")
I’m starting to dislike Donald Trump.
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### Author:  [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/11 "2020-12-08T16:32:36Z")
When Trump challenged him, I really wish Dan Gable had of suplexed Trump and slapped a submission hold on him. That would have been hilarious.
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/12 "2020-12-08T18:33:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> This was not about Gable receiving the medal-It was all about Trump _presenting_ the medal.
Egg-zactly. When you’re done with a prop, you put it down.
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike1)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/13 "2020-12-08T20:25:54Z")
According to a commenter on the Huffington Post who claims to have seen more of the video, Trump asked Gable “Dyah think I could take yah?” and Gable responded “Um, no way.” The vulgarian then got huffy and walked out.
I can’t vouch for the truth of this, but it sure SOUNDS like a probable scenario.
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### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/14 "2020-12-08T20:56:03Z")
That was my impression—Trump got miffed when a champion wrestler refused to lie about how a couch potato would fare against him.
There really is no lower limit.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/15 "2020-12-09T05:24:39Z")
😃
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZb_KQSJ-xc)
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/16 "2020-12-09T05:25:55Z")
I’m from Dan Gable-land, so this was big news.
Anyone else notice that nobody was masked?
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### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/17 "2020-12-09T05:32:31Z")
People are saying that he shit himself. Supposedly this is a thing that has happened before in his Apprentice days.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/18 "2020-12-09T05:36:52Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike1](#):
>
> Trump asked Gable “Dyah think I could take yah?” and Gable responded “Um, no way.” The vulgarian then got huffy and walked out.
>
> I can’t vouch for the truth of this, but it sure SOUNDS like a probable scenario.
The video shows otherwise. Trump asks Gable if he (Trump) could take him, Gable says “no way” and Trump - remarkably, as he never chuckles like a normal human - actually, um, _chuckles like a normal human_ and continues.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/19 "2020-12-09T05:44:55Z")
I just watched the video clip and here is my transcript. I dunno who “John” is.
TRUMP: Now, I’m larger than you a little bit. Do you think I could take you in wrestling now? Would I have a big advantage?
GABLE: You would have no chance.
TRUMP: (laughs and pounds podium, audience also laughs) What do you think? I agree. Do you agree with that John? I do. I agree.
SOMEONE OUT OF FILIMING RANGE - JOHN?: He’s the expert.
TRUMP: He’s the expert. (laughs.)
* * *
Seriously, it’s almost like a normal kind of joking around situation. It would be kind of cute if I wasn’t already aware of what a malignant force Trump is.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-he-had-to-do-was-present-a-medal-but-noooooo/927537/20 "2020-12-09T17:13:45Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> Seriously, it’s almost like a normal kind of joking around situation. It would be kind of cute if I wasn’t already aware of what a malignant force Trump is.
I think this is fair. Although it is a characteristically Trumpian kind of joking around: making it about himself.
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