Trump awards legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable with Medal of Freedom
Dan Gable became the first wrestler to be awarded the Medal of Freedom. On Monday, President Donald Trump held the ceremony in the Oval Office.
The ceremony was the second time where President Trump held a large meeting without observation of covid-19 guidelines. 20 of Gable’s family members along with Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and, recently covid positive, Chuck Grassley and other members of the audience were not practicing social distancing nor wearing masks.
“His Coach quickly saw his unmatched intensity and gave Dan the keys to the gym so he could come first thing in the morning to practice,” said President Trump. “He worked hard but, he was also born with something called talent.”
With a prep record of 64-0, Gable made waves. Gable attended Iowa State University where he secured 2 NCAA wrestling championships, became a 3 time all American, and had a collegiate record of 117-1.
“Before matches Dan would repeat the words ‘cakes, carries, ducks, picks, shucks sweeps”, said President Trump. Upon inquiry from the President, Gable explained what this meant “They are all moves that end the match and get your hand raised. That was going through my head. I wasn’t worried about his moves, I was only worried about my moves.”
Gable’s mindset led to him being an unstoppable force that thrust American wrestling into the spotlight. Gable won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics where he went 6-0. This feat is even more impressive given the Gable took down the top wrestlers in the world without giving up a single point.
Considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time Gable continued his legacy of greatness when he led the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
As a coach, he led the Hawkeyes to 355 victories and 15 NCAA team titles with a team average of 17 victories per loss.
“No one has done more to promote wrestling in America than Dan Gable. He is an athletic giant who conquered one of the most difficult and ancient sports in the world. He is the greatest wrestler, probably, ever,” praised President Trump. “We’ve never had anybody like him. He has made our country very proud, and he is a true ‘GOAT.’ Do you know what ‘GOAT’ is? GOAT. ‘Greatest of all time,’ right? He is the greatest of all time.
In Gable’s closing speech he kept form as a coach and mentor leaving the room inspired. “No place on this Earth is perfect, and there’s always room for improvement. The success one has with others, as he mentioned, is more important than the success you have as yourself. I wouldn’t be here on this podium if I just had won this Olympic Gold Medal. It has been a lifetime of work, learning from many others to be an outstanding competitor and person.”
The meeting was ended swiftly by President Trump when accepting questions from reporters. Upon receiving a question about the election results and the President’s plans President Trump referred to America as a “third-world country — these ballots pouring in from everywhere, using machinery that nobody knows ownership, nobody knows anything about.”
President Trump continues by insinuating that voting machines have been tampered with. “They have ‘glitches,’ as they call them. Glitches. The glitches weren’t glitches. They got caught sending out thousands of votes — all against me, by the way.”
A sweet ceremony ended with a bitter end. Gable has been even further immortalized in the history books as a fall of Famer and now the recipient of the Medal of Freedom.
