President Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to pro-life former college football coach Lou Holtz.
“It’s the highest honor or award you could possibly receive and I receive it with mixed emotions,” Holtz told Fox News from the White House just before Thursday’s ceremony. “First of all, I’m humbled. There are many more people far worthy than me I can assure you. Nobody is more appreciative than me.”
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BREAKING: President Trump awards pro-life college football coach Lou Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedompic.twitter.com/Wji5SwD2Cc
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Notre Dame spokesman Paul Browne, congratulated Holtz in a statement.
“Lou Holtz is among America’s greatest college football coaches, leading Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988. But his contributions off the field have been equally inspiring, bringing attention and support to his hometown, alma mater, Catholic Charities, the Women’s Care Foundation, the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, and other worthy organizations through his charitable foundation,” the statement said.
“At Notre Dame, he and his late wife, Beth, served as research ambassadors, and the players he molded have added to his legacy through their own contributions through the Lou’s Lads Foundation.”
“America recognizes Lou Holtz as one of the greatest football coaches of all time for his unmatched accomplishments on the gridiron, but he is also a philanthropist, author, and true American patriot,” a press release from the office of the White House said.
Holtz retired from coaching football in 2004, but he recently came into the spotlight again when he spoke at the Republican National Convention in August. He praised President Donald Trump as a dedicated leader while criticizing Joe Biden for running “the most radically pro-abortion campaign in history.”
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“One of the important reasons he has my trust is because nobody has been a stronger advocate for the unborn than President Trump,” Holtz told the RNC. “The Biden-Harris ticket is the most radically pro-abortion campaign in history. They and other politicians are ‘Catholics in Name Only’ and abandon innocent lives. President Trump protects those lives.”
Though Holtz faced criticism for his remarks about Biden, what he said was true. Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, support abortion on demand and want to force taxpayers to pay for it. They also want to force nuns and other religious employers to pay for birth control, including types that may cause abortions, in their employee health plans. Catholic hospitals and doctors could be forced to help participate in the aborting of unborn babies, too, if the Democrat leaders win.
In contrast, Holtz said Trump has been a strong advocate for all Americans, including unborn babies.
“In President Trump we have a president we can trust, who works hard at making America greater, and who genuinely cares about people,” he told the RNC. “If I apply this test to Joe Biden – I can’t say yes to any of these three questions.”
During his GOP convention speech, Holtz emphasized that though he grew up poor, his parents taught him priceless lessons: “Go get an education. Get to work. You can overcome any obstacles and always remember, that in this great country of ours – anyone can amount to something special.”
“But there are people today; like politicians, professors and protesters, and of course President Trump’s naysayers in the media, who like to blame others for problems,” Holtz added.
“They don’t have pride in our country. And because they no longer ask ‘what can I do for my country, only what the country should be doing for them,’ they don’t have pride in themselves.”
The former Notre Dame football coach shared that all his life he has made choices based on trust, love, and commitment – words engraved on the statue of him at the University of Notre Dame.
“I used these rules to make choices about everything – my beloved wife of 59 years, athletes I coached, and of course politicians, even President Trump,” he said, adding that he asks himself, “Can I trust them,” and “are they committed to doing their best,” and “do they care about others.”
“One of the important reasons he has my trust is because nobody has been a stronger advocate for the unborn than President Trump,” Holtz said. “The Biden-Harris ticket is the most radically pro-abortion campaign in history. They and other politicians are ‘Catholics in Name Only’ and abandon innocent lives. President Trump protects those lives.”
He emphasized that Trump “finds solutions,” that Trump “loves our country, and our great people.”
“In President Trump we have a president we can trust, who works hard at making America greater, and who genuinely cares about people,” Holtz added. “If I apply this test to Joe Biden – I can’t say yes to any of these three questions.”
The football coach continued: “I used to ask our athletes at Notre Dame, ‘If you did not show up who would miss you and why?’”
“Can you imagine what would happen to us if President Trump had not shown up in 2016 to run for President?” he concluded. “I am so glad he showed up.”
