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Obama Gets Called Out By Stephen Colbert For This ‘Screwup’ Involving Dolly Parton

In a new interview this week, former President Barack Obama admitted that one major “screwup” of his presidency was not giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to country music legend Dolly Parton.

Obama And Stephen Colbert Discuss Dolly Parton

When late night host Stephen Colbert asked how it’s possible that Dolly Parton has never received this highest honor for a civilian, Obama answered, “That’s a mistake. I’m shocked.”

“Looking back at your eight years, do you realize that’s the mistake you made?” Colbert asked, laughing as he did so.

“Actually, that was a screwup,” Obama replied. “I’m surprised. I think I assumed that she had already gotten one, and that was incorrect. She deserves one. I’ll call Biden.”

The Hill reported that during his time in the White House, Obama gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to various famous musicians, including Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan and Barbra Streisand.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded by the current President to people who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors”.

While Parton, 74, has never received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she’s gotten plenty of other honors, including the National Medal of Arts in 2005 and being celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006.

Why Dolly Parton Deserves The Medal of Freedom

Aside from her success in the country music world, Parton has devoted much of her life to charity.

Dolly’s charitable acts have been generous and plenty since the 1980’s through her Dollywood Foundation.

Her most famous charity is likely her literacy program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which gifts monthly books to any child who enrolls.

Her work in literacy has earned her countless awards for her positive contributions to children and education in the US and abroad.

More recently, Dolly was recognized for helping to fund Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine research with a massive $1 million donation that she made back in August.

“I felt like this was the time for me to open my heart and my hand and try to help,” Parton said last month of helping to fund the vaccine, according to Fox News.

“I’m just happy that anything I do can helps somebody else,” she added. “When I donated the money to the COVID[-19] fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let’s just hope we can find a cure real soon.”

She Stays Out Of Politics

Dolly is one of the few entertainers working in the music and Hollywood worlds today who has steadfastly refused to talk about politics.

“I’ve got as many Republican friends as I’ve got Democrat friends and I just don’t like voicing my opinion on things,” she recently told The Guardian.

“I’ve seen things before, like the Dixie Chicks. You can ruin a career for speaking out. I respect my audience too much for that, I respect myself too much for that. Of course, I have my own opinions, but that don’t mean I got to throw them out there because you’re going to piss off half the people.”

While we certainly don’t agree with Obama on most things, even we can’t deny that Dolly Parton is an American treasure and certainly deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom!

James Conrad

James Conrad’s passion for politics is only overshadowed by his longstanding interest in Hollywood. His unique perspective as a gay conservative fuels him to challenge celebrity views and those who think they have a right to tell anyone how to think or vote. James proudly wields his minority point of view to combat identity politics and cut through his typecast. Fun fact: James’ guilty pleasure is the British royal family.