President Donald Trump reportedly awarded the National Medal of the Arts to country music artists Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs in a closed ceremony Wednesday.
No press was allowed at the ceremony, but it was reported by Bloomberg’s Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs.
NEWS: Amid impeachment effort, Trump is giving medals to @tobykeith and @RickySkaggs — national medal of the arts, several sources tell me
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 13, 2021
Both artists have been supportive of Trump in the past. (RELATED: President Donald Trump To Award National Medal Of The Arts To Jon Voight)
“I believe Donald Trump is the right person in the right place, and that it’s prophetic,” Skaggs said in 2016, according to The Hill.
Keith performed at Trump’s inauguration in 2016, but has also performed at events for former President Barack Obama as well.
The award is given to artists who “are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States,” according to the government website.
Trump awarded actor Jon Voight the medal in 2019 along with Alison Krauss, Sharon Percy Rockefeller and the Musicians of the United States Military, according to the website.