House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) drew swift mockery on Wednesday after he awarded the president the first-ever “America First Award” at the National Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser, which he claimed would now be given “annually from this point forward.”
“We could think of no better title for what that is,” Johnson said of the golden eagle statue. “That’s this beautiful golden statue here. Appropriate for the new golden era in America.”
The over-the-top tribute quickly sparked ridicule online.
It follows a string of similarly eyebrow-raising accolades for Trump, including the newly created FIFA Peace Prize, the Washington Coal Club naming him the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal” and his controversial co-opting of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
MS NOW host Jen Psaki didn’t hold back: “Little Mike Johnson and all those Republicans have just created yet another participation trophy to give their very special boy in the White House to make sure he feels good about himself.”
Others, including multiple lawmakers, piled on with similar criticism.
