Country music legend Dolly Parton has revealed that she turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice during the Donald Trump administration, though the reasons she gave weren’t political. At the same time, the singer said she isn’t sure she will accept the honor if Joe Biden were to offer it to her.
Dolly Parton revealed on NBC’s Today show on Monday that she refused the country’s highest civilian honor two times during the last four years.
“I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill,” she said about the first offer. “And then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID.”
Parton revealed that she has heard from the Biden administration about the medal. But she said, “Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure.”
“I don’t work for those awards,” Parton continued. “It’d be nice but I’m not sure that I even deserve it. But it’s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it.”
During his administration, Trump bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to mainly political and sports figures. Earlier this year, Bill Belichick, the coach of the New England Patriots, refused the honor following the Capitol riots on January 6.
Unlike many celebrities who have embraced far-left politics, Dolly Parton has mostly avoided taking political stances.
Last year, the singer voiced sympathy for black lives while stopping short of endorsing the Black Lives Matter movement itself. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she said in a Billboard interview. “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”
Parton appeared to endorse Hillary Clinton’s ultimately unsuccessful bid for the White House in 2016.
“Hillary might make as good a president as anybody ever has,” she told the New York Times. “I personally think a woman would do a great job. I think Hillary’s very qualified. So if she gets it, I’ll certainly be behind her.”
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.