Ellen DeGeneres forgot to bring her ID to the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 22, to receive her Medal of Freedom. But once the talk show host finally made it in, she posted an epic mannequin challenge video to celebrate.
“They haven’t let me into the White House yet because I forgot my ID,” the comedian, 58, captioned a Twitter pic of herself waiting on a bench outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. “#NotJoking.”
They haven’t let me in to the White House yet because I forgot my ID. #NotJoking#PresidentialMedalOfFreedom pic.twitter.com/sHocwqChKV
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 22, 2016
DeGeneres must have found her ID, because about an hour later, she let fans know that she had made it in by posting a mannequin challenge with notable names such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and Diana Ross.
I’m in. pic.twitter.com/oU344pnYsH
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 22, 2016
“I’m in,” she wrote alongside the short clip showing herself and the other stars creating a stoic tableau in one of the White House’s many rooms.
The Finding Dory voice actress is one of 21 individuals who received a Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama on Tuesday. She was joined at the ceremony by actors Hanks, 60, De Niro, 73, Cicely Tyson and Robert Redford; Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels; music legends Ross, 72, and Springsteen, 67; athletes Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; sportscaster Vin Scully; physicist Richard Garwin; activist Elouise Cobell (posthumous); philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates; scientists Margaret H. Hamilton and Grace Hopper (posthumous); artist Maya Lin; attorney Newt Minow and Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padrón.
Obama, 55, released a statement November 16 regarding this year’s honorees, the final of his presidency before President-elect Donald Trump takes over the Oval Office in January.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation’s highest civilian honor; it’s a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better,” POTUS said. “From scientists, philanthropists and public servants to activists, athletes and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way.”
