President Donald Trump’s ego knows no bounds, critics contend, pointing to his latest narcissistic plan. This time, he proposed awarding himself the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor, for making a flight to Iraq in 2018, even though Trump is a well-known draft dodger, according to opponents. Donald Trump pats himself on the back again after he hosts the “Clean Beautiful Coal” event at the White House. Photo credit: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images During a speech to a small group of supporters in Rome, Georgia, on Thursday, Feb. 19, to help support his candidate prosecutor Jay Fuller to fill former Congresswoman and one-time Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene’s vacant seat, a sweaty and rambling Trump suddenly went off script, bragging that he flew to Iraq and that “I was extremely brave.” ‘Why Isn’t He in Jail?!’: Trump Swears a Massive Election Scandal Is Exploding — Then the Plot Twist Hits, and a Billionaire with His Own Agenda Leaves Him Holding the Fallout “I was extremely brave, in fact, so brave I wanted to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor. I said to, I said to my people, am I allowed to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor?” Trump boasted to MAGA supporters. “And, you know, I’ve given out so many to guys that are seriously brave,” Trump continued before admitting it might be “a stretch” to try and give himself one, but he remained undaunted. “But it’s one of those things. Someday I’m going to try! I’m going to test the law. I’m going to say, let’s give it a shot!” an animated Trump crowed. Trump: "I flew to Iraq. I was extremely brave. So brave I wanted to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor … someday I'm gonna try. I'll test the law." pic.twitter.com/Fk3VBaJikf— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 19, 2026 He then pivoted and lashed out at the media, trying to claim he was joking, but that the media would report it as if he was serious, which he actually was, political analysts believe. It seems Trump had already plotted out how he might go about it, even acknowledging that it might not go over so well, given his history of evading military service in Vietnam, not once or twice, but five times during the 1960s. “Maybe I’ll win in court after everyone sues me, after radical left lunatics sue me,” he yelled, raising his voice at the thought of it and clearly showing he’s already seriously considered it. “Watch the fake news, you know, I’m having fun,” the president smiled unconvincingly before actually speaking the truth. “The fake news will say ‘Donald Trump wants to give himself the Congressional Medal of Honor. But he was rebuffed by the audience, who stood up and booed the hell out of him.’ So, they say that kind of stuff. It’s amazing,” he said. But that’s exactly what he said, that he wants to give himself the Medal of Honor. Trump has a history of floating ideas that may seem crazy before acting on them, according to his past track record and journalists who have covered him extensively. Needless to say, social media exploded in outrage. “This draft-dodging coward has hit a disgusting new low…” the group Occupy Democrats posted on X, before warning, “When Trump says that he’s going to do something profoundly immoral and unprecedented like this, it’s best to take him at his word.” The post continued, “He’s clearly given this profound breach [of] decorum some thought, as evidenced by him gaming out the legal hurdles that he’d face.” The post has 181,000 views and counting, and thousands of reposts. There were plenty of sarcastic and humorous posts, too. Fruit Fly News commented, “I guess the fake peace medal wasn’t good enough,” above an AI-generated video of Trump awarding himself the medal. The New York Independent hilariously remarked, “Wait…. Trump already has a chest full of medals….” above a meme of Trump dressed as a military official with McDonald’s pins across his chest. Wait…. Trump already has a chest full of medals…. pic.twitter.com/C0pbgW4G1F— The New York Independent (@nyi_news) February 20, 2026 “As a veteran, hearing Trump brag he should give himself the Medal of Honor is beyond disgraceful. That medal is earned through blood, sacrifice and heroism not narcissistic fantasy. It’s an insult to every warrior who actually paid the price for this country!” another person wrote. Trump flew to Al Asad Air Base west of Baghdad in 2018 in the dark of night to visit troops for Christmas. He was on the ground for about three hours, according to CNN. In the past, Trump allegedly has called military members and veterans “suckers and losers.” He has mocked prisoners of war like the now-deceased Arizona Sen. John McCain during the 2016 presidential campaign when he said, “I like people who weren’t captured.” And angering veterans and service members even further, Trump dodged the Vietnam draft five times in the 1960s, four times for college and finally for a medical exemption for “bone spurs,” according to Politico. Back in 2019 Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen testified before Congress that Trump admitted the “bone spurs” were fake, making up a medical injury to avoid serving, the Military Times reported. ‘A Disgusting New Low’: Trump Insults Americans While Floating Another ‘Narcissistic Fantasy’, Admits It’s Likely Illegal — Then Jokes About Doing It Anyway ...read more read less