Trump offers 'proof' of award he never received

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include The Oakland Press' correction that Donald Trump was not honored with the "Man of the Year" award, but "Man of the Decade" in 2013.

Trump is claiming — for a fourth time — that the state of Michigan honored him with the "Man of the Year" award.

“I've had a recent thing, where an [ex-President Barack] Obama disciple — his name is Peter Baker — he said that I would go around saying that I was honored here years ago, or whatever," Trump said during an appearance at the Detroit Economic Club Thursday. This was many years before I ran for president — maybe 18 or 20 years ago. He made the statement that I was never honored here, which was quite insulting, actually. I didn't remember the specifics of it. But he said it never took place."

The GOP nominee continued, "Very much like Kamala. She said she worked at McDonalds, and she didn’t. And I didn’t want to get into that, so what I did is, I asked my people, ‘You gotta find it.’ It was a long time [ago] but I was honored. And guess what? They found it. I was. Right here. That was a long time ago. It says 'Oakland party GOP to honor Donald Trump.'"

READ MORE: Trump's Michigan con: Why his supporters keep falling for it

Journalist Justin Baragona responded to the former president's claim via X, writing, "Trump claims he finally has proof that he won the ‘Michigan Man of the Year’ award. The proof? A 2023 article in a local paper that features the Oakland County GOP exec director saying the group gave Trump a ‘Man of the Year’ award in 2013."

The journalist also notes, "While that article, which reported on the Oakland County GOP preparing to give Trump a 'Man of the Decade' award, quoted a local GOP official claiming Trump was named Man of the Year in 2013, those in attendance at that event said he never received that honor."

CNN reported in that Trump lied during a Detroit rally in June, "for the third consecutive presidential election," saying "You know, I got the ‘Man of the Year’ in Michigan. Years ago, long before politics, like 12, 13 years ago."

READ MORE: Trump bails on interview when challenged on Michigan 'crime wave' stats: local newspaper

The news outlet fact-checked the ex-president's claim, reporting:

Trump’s claim remains false. Nobody has ever been able to find any evidence that he was ever named 'Man of the Year' in Michigan before he ran for president. The state itself does not give out a 'Man of the Year' award; Trump has never lived in Michigan; and he has never specified who supposedly gave him this award and when.

The 2013 article — which was published by The Oakland Press — now has an editor’s note at the top “setting the record straight," according to NBC 4 WCMH-TV.

"Trump was the keynote speaker at the 2013 dinner in Novi, which drew a record crowd. He was not honored as Man of the Year. During the 2023 dinner, Trump was honored as the Man of the Decade which was reported in the 2023 story," the note says. "We’re setting the record straight after the former president incorrectly cited the 2013 Man of the Year award during a recent speech to the Detroit Economic Club."

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