i'd like to ask the military aide to join us on stage. for the final time as president, i am pleased to award our nation's highest civilian honor. the presidential medal of freedom. [ applause ] >> i think by now it's abundantly clear that president obama and his successor have literally nothing in common. obama loved awarding the presidential medal of freedom, the highest civilian honor, and bestowed it upon some of the most well-known and beloved americans from every walk of civic life. in 2016 alone he gave the medal to michael jordan, to diana ross, and to robert deniro among more than a dozen others. and who could forget the president surprised his vice president and bestest pal, joe biden, with the other. donald trump announced his first recipients yesterday.