Country musicians Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs were reportedly presented with the National Medal of the Arts by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The presentation took place on the same day when the U.S. House of Representatives suspended Trump for the second time following the January 6 violent uprising in the Capitol.
Because of Keith’s steadfast military support and jingoistic folk songs such as ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)’, the Indians in Oklahoma have long been considered a conservative Republican, although he Chicago Tribune, he is actually a former Democrat who is no longer affiliated with any of the parties. In 2017, he performed during Trump’s inauguration ceremony and delivered criticism.
Skaggs was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018. He was a lifelong Republican and evangelical Christian and expressed his support for Trump in an interview with the Gospel Herald. “I love [Trump’s] enthusiasm and his fighting spirit, ”he said. ‘He’s not going to let anyone bulldoze over him because he’s a bulldozer himself. Mr. Trump is someone who breaks down and rebuilds. I believe that Donald Trump is the right person in the right place and that it is prophetic. ”
Skaggs began his career in bluegrass and brought elements of the genre to country radio with songs such as ‘Heartbroke’, ‘Highway 40 Blues’ and ‘Country Boy’, with the video for which Bluegrass great Bill Monroe appeared. Keith has meanwhile been a persistent country radio hitmaker, with iconic hits such as ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy’, the strictly patriotic ‘American Soldier’ and the novelty ‘Red Solo Cup’. They’ve both been pretty quiet for the past few years – Keith released the singles ‘That’s Country Bro’ and ‘What’s Up Cuz’ in 2019, though neither. Skaggs’ latest new music was released in 2014.
This is only the second time in his one-term presidential term that Trump has presented the National Medal of the Arts. In 2019, he pays tribute to Alison Krauss, artist Sharon Percy Rockefeller, American military musicians and actor Jon Voight. Trump attempted to present New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to the Medal of Freedom earlier this week. The coach refused.
A rep for Keith declined to comment. A rep for Skaggs did not respond to a request for comment.