Bill Belichick rejects Trump's presidential medal offer
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on January 3, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick will no longer accept President Trump’s offer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The decision comes after last week's riots in the nation's Capitol.
Belichick had agreed to receive the honor before a mob of the president’s supporters overran the Capitol but announced Monday that he would not move forward to accept it, according to the WSJ.
In a statement, Belichick said: "Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation's values, freedom and democracy."
Belichick has won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
He is the son of a Navy veteran.
Trump recently awarded the medal to golfers Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam.