President Donald Trump announced that Dr. Ben Carson will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, noting that there will be a ceremony at the White House to honor him.
"Congratulations Ben. He didn't know this. He didn't know it. I hope he's happy." Trump said after making the announcement at the conclusion of his remarks at the American Cornerstone Institute's Founders' Dinner on Saturday.
Carson, who founded the ACI, served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during Trump's first term in office.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson attend the American Cornerstone Institute Founders' Dinner on Sept. 20, 2025 in Mount Vernon, Va. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Carson, a former neurosurgeon, ran for president when Trump mounted his first successful White House bid, but ultimately dropped out and backed Trump in 2016.
ACI's website states that "Dr. Carson is ensuring there is an organization fighting for the principles that have guided him through life, and that make this country great: Faith, Liberty, Community, and Life."
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Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump greets former HUD Secretary Ben Carson during a campaign event where he received Carson's endorsement on Oct. 29, 2023 in Sioux City, Iowa (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Carson is supporting U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., for re-election.
In a post on X earlier this month, Carson declared that Graham "has been a steadfast conservative leader for South Carolina and our nation and I'm pleased to endorse him for re-election."
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson appears on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisc. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Carson was one of the people who spoke at the memorial service honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sunday.