Honorary titles, degrees, and other such distinctions are generally reserved for people who have succeeded in the corresponding field in some notable way. But the rules have never applied for Donald Trump, and that seems to be trickling down to even the most mundane things.
The former president received an honorary ninth-degree black belt in taekwondo last week, the highest achievement a person can receive in this particular form of martial arts.
The honor was bestowed upon Trump by Lee Dong Seop, president of Kukkiwon. Photos show the two posing together at Mar-a-Lago.
As one might guess, Trump has never actually practiced taekwondo or done anything suggesting he is deserving of a black belt. However, he is not the first world leader to receive such an unearned honor — his very own personal hero Vladimir Putin received the same honorary title in 2013.
Fake black belt. Fake Purple Heart. Lost the popular vote. The only thing Trump has ever earned in his life is scorn.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) November 23, 2021