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Ellen DeGeneres Expresses Gratitude for Presidential Medal of Freedom

DeGeneres discusses how she convinced the rest of the honorees, like Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks, to join her in doing the mannequin challenge.

On her show Tuesday, Ellen DeGeneres opens up about her experience receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama last week.

"I don’t know if you heard, but last week I received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Thank you. Thank you," DeGeneres says. "I hope your Thanksgiving was good. That was my Thanksgiving; it was probably my best one ever in my entire life."

Getting into the story about forgetting her ID, DeGeneres says she sat outside on a bench waiting to get in as other honorees, like Bruce Springsteen, walked by, asking her how she could forget her ID.

Upon being asked for her ID by the person escorting her and wife Portia de Rossi, DeGeneres says she was confused.

'I was like, “No. No I don’t have my ID.”' She’s like, "No you…” and she thought I was kidding. I was like, "Why would I need… I’m getting the Medal of Freedom. I didn’t think I needed…”'

According to DeGeneres, de Rossi thought the incident was "hilarious" and took the photo of her sitting on a bench that was tweeted out.

But the wait was worth it. DeGeneres said she was honored to be present.

"The ceremony was incredible," she said. "If you haven’t seen what President Obama said go to our website, it was beautiful. I don’t even know how to express in words how honored I felt getting that from the President of the United States, who I love so very much, so how I will express it is …I will express my gratitude with a dance."

Also on the show, DeGeneres discusses how she convinced the rest of the guests, like Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks, to join her in doing the mannequin challenge.

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