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President-elect Donald Trump accepted the “Patriot of the Year” award Thursday at a Long Island event organized by Fox Nation.
Trump, 78, accepted the award, designed to resemble the American flag, after a live performance of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” – the president-elect’s go-to entrance song.
In his acceptance speech, Trump reflected on his campaign for the White House and argued that the country is already seeing the fruits of his victory against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We had such a spectacular election,” Trump said after receiving the award at the Tilles Center for Performing Arts in Brookville, NY.
“It was a tremendous day, a tremendous night, a tremendous period of time,” the president-elect added, noting that he went “72 days” without a day off in the run-up to Election Day.
“I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years, and we’re not even there yet,” he continued, adding, “We’re going to make America great again.”
The ceremony – FOX Nation’s sixth annual Patriot Awards – honored several inspirational figures, including military veterans, first responders and Stephanie Diller, the widow of slain NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller.
About 2,000 elegantly dressed people packed the venue, with many sporting American flags and “Make America Great Again” gear.
The ceremony was emceed by Fox News host Sean Hannity, who described this year’s recipients as “an eclectic blend of people” that “deserve recognition.”
“What I love about it is unlike, say, the Oscars or the Grammys or the Tonys, this honors the men and women that really do make the country great every day, unsung heroes and real patriots. They never get any recognition,” Hannity told Fox News Digital.
“And I think that’s what makes it special. And there are so many great patriots in the country that deserve recognition. It’s an honor to be a part of it,” he added.
The program saw awards handed out for service to veterans, bravery, courage and several other categories.
About a dozen Fox News personalities, including Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham and Judge Jeanine Pirro, made appearances and served as presenters during the ceremony.
Trump has made few public appearances since his Election Day win, opting to hunker down at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., as he assembles his incoming administration.
This week, however, the president-elect attended a memorial service for Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies killed in the line of duty – and also announced that he will travel to Paris Saturday to celebrate the grand re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was devastated by a fire during his first term.
Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this week that he looked “greatly forward” to traveling to New York to receive the Patriot of the Year honor, which he called “so nice!”