Dolly Parton Didn't Think She 'Deserved' Donald Trump's Medal of Freedom, So She Turned It Down Twice

Country music legend Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, prompting renewed attention to the two occasions when she turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.

Parton revealed the circumstances during a 2021 interview with NBC's Today. She consistently downplayed her legacy and questioned whether she deserved such an honour despite her decades of philanthropy.

The nation's highest civilian honour was first offered to Parton during Trump's first administration, but she said she could not accept becauseher husband was severely ill. Family remained her ultimate priority during her incredibly successful musical career.

The Trump administration extended the offer a second time, but Parton said she declined because she would not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

'I couldn't accept it because my husband was ill,' she explained. 'Then they asked me again about it and I wouldn't travel because of the COVID.'

Parton also said she had heard from the Biden administration about the honour, although it was unclear whether she had received a formal offer.

By then, the legendary musician worried that accepting it might send the wrong political message.

'Now I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics,' she said. She also remained unsure whether she truly deserved such a distinguished honour. 'I don't work for those awards,' she said.

A Legacy of Unmatched Generosity

Today host Hoda Kotb responded that Parton deserved the recognition, reflecting the widespread admiration for the singer's work beyond music.

Her philanthropic efforts were nearly as celebrated as her iconic musical catalogue. She launched Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 1995 to provide free books to young children. The programme distributed its 100 millionth book in 2018 and passed 200 million books in 2023.

The Dollywood Foundation also provided financial assistance to families whose properties were devastated by Tennessee wildfires. Hundreds of affected families received $1,000 per month for six months, with a final $5,000 payment.

Her generosity extended to medical research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country icon donated $1 million (£743,000) to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's COVID-19 research efforts in 2020.

Part of the research supported by Parton's donation contributed to work associated with Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. Her contribution was widely celebrated after the vaccine's development, although it would overstate her role to suggest that her $1 million alone funded or produced the vaccine.

'I'm just happy that anything I do can help somebody else,' she said. Parton later expressed pride that her contribution had supported research that ultimately helped during the pandemic.

Her philanthropy became a defining part of her public legacy, spanning literacy, disaster relief and medical research.

Tributes From the Highest Office

President Trump paid tribute to the late icon on Tuesday, sharing his condolences on Truth Social and describing her death as a 'true loss for millions of people.'

'Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,' Trump wrote. 'There has never been anyone like her, and never will.'

The president also ordered US flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide and at federal facilities abroad until sunset on 1 September. The proclamation covered the White House, public buildings, military posts, naval stations and US diplomatic facilities overseas

'Rest in Peace, Dolly!' Trump added. 'The World loves you.' The tribute was particularly notable given Parton's history of declining the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Trump's first term.

Comedian Stephen Colbert previously asked former President Barack Obama why Parton had never received the nation's highest civilian honour during his administration. Obama admitted the omission had been a mistake.

'I think I assumed that she'd already got one, and that was incorrect,' Obama said during a 2020 appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

'That was a screwup,' Obama added, acknowledging that he was surprised to learn Parton had never received the medal.