Nothing better to do tonight? Watch Mike Pence receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. By Hal M. Brown

The committee who decided to honor former vice president Mike Pence must have known they'd be trolling Donald Trump.

caption...

This is the press release announcing that Mike Pence will receive a major award for his courage in certifying the 2020 election:

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award to Honor Vice President Mike Pence for Certifying 2020 Election

BOSTON, MA – The 2025 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award^® will be presented to Vice President Michael R. Pence for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on January 6, 2021. The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award is presented annually by the JFK Library Foundation to public servants for making a courageous decision of conscience without regard for the personal or professional consequences. Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg will present the award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on May 4, 2025 in Boston, MA.
Statement from Kennedy and Schlossberg:
“Political courage is not outdated in the United States. At every level of government, leaders are putting country first, and not backing down.
Despite our political differences, it is hard to imagine an act of greater consequence than Vice President Pence’s decision to certify the 2020 presidential election during an attack on the U.S. Capitol. Upholding his oath to the Constitution and following his conscience, the Vice President put his life, career, and political future on the line.
His decision is an example of President Kennedy’s belief that an act of political courage can change the course of history.”
Statement from Vice President Pence:
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be the recipient of the Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. I have been inspired by the life and words of President John F. Kennedy since my youth and am honored to join the company of so many distinguished Americans who have received this recognition in the past.”
Despite extraordinary pressure to single-handedly overturn the results of the 2020 election, Vice President Mike Pence stood firm in his commitment to democracy and ensured the constitutionally mandated transfer of power. On January 6, 2021, as the presidential election certification process unfolded, a violent mob determined to halt the certification stormed the U.S. Capitol and openly threatened Pence. While the Secret Service urged him to evacuate, Pence chose to remain at the Capitol, coordinating with military and Congressional leaders during the attack. Once the Capitol was cleared, Pence resumed the certification process, confirming the election results and demonstrating his resolve to uphold his constitutional duty.

When I looked at RawStory this morning I saw this story:

Talk about clickbait! What could be happening tonight that will lead to Trump losing what' remains of his mind tonight?

Thank you, RawStory, for alerting me to this.

On MSNBC’s The Weekend co-host Jonathan Capehart stated he was more interested in how Donald Trump will react than whether Pence deserved the award. Here’s more of what was said:

"Come on, Elise Oprah," co-host Eugene Daniels protested before laughing.
That was when Capehart jumped in, "You know, but you know the best –– come on –– I'm just going to speak for myself. But the thing I'm most looking forward to is the reaction of ––."
"Of who?" Daniels interrupted.
"President Trump! Because it's totally going to be..." Capehart responded as he mimed Trump's head exploding.
"True Social is going to be lighting up," Jordan interjected.
"Lit, as the kids would say," Capehart agreed.

The award will be presented by Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s daughter and grandson.

I have no doubt that a major part of Trump wanting RFK Jr. to be in the Cabinet was his lineage. This makes it especially delicious to have Caorline Kennedy be one of the presenters.

Read “Caroline Kennedy calls RFK Jr. a 'predator' and urges Senate to reject his nomination.”

This announcement was covered in lots of media (here):

Whether or not Trump knows about this probably depends on whether it was covered on Fox News. I can’t determine if it was, although it was covered on some Fox News outlets.

Here’s a list of the previous recipients of the award. Last year it was presented to Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams (R) for expanding voting rights and standing up for free and fair elections despite party opposition and death threats from election deniers. In 2022 “for the first time ever, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award honored five individuals — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Arizona Representative Russell “Rusty” Bowers, and Wandrea’ ArShaye Moss — each for their courage to protect and defend democracy in the United States and abroad.”

In prior years Mitt Romney, Mitch Landrieu, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and George H. W. Bush were recipients.

Whether Mike Pence deserves the award over others can be debated. I have no doubt that the people who decided to select him knew very well that this would ignite controversy. I venture to say that they discussed with each other when they decide who among various deserving candidates who would John F. Kennedy choose.

I hope Trump reacts to this on Truth Social. If he doesn’t, I hope a reporter asks him or Karoline Leavitt what they think about it.

As for the members of the committee of the JFK Library Foundation (here), I am sure that they knew very well that this was the first time since the award was established in 1990 they would be trolling a current president, let alone by honoring his former vice president. This is what Wikipedia says about how to handle it when one is the target of trolling:

One common strategy for dealing with online trolls is to ignore them. This approach, known as "don't feed the trolls", is based on the idea that trolls feed on attention and reactions. By withholding these, the troll may lose interest and stop their disruptive behavior. This is considered by psychologists to be the best way to stop trolling. Although after ceasing contact, disruption may occur in greater frequency due to an extinction burst.

This is what Trump would do if he was psychologically healthy and not a manic thin-skinned dictator bent on revenge against anyone who takes a stand against him.

Addendum: Read the comments on the foundation’s Facebook page here.

Click here to read my previous Substacks.