Amid second impeachment, Toby Keith, Ricky Skaggs receive National Medal of Arts from Trump: Reports

As the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a historic second time Wednesday, country music singers Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs were being honored by the commander in chief.

Trump presented each with a National Medal of Arts, according to reports from Bloomberg News and NBC. The ceremony reportedly happened "minutes" after the House voted to charge Trump with "inciting violence against the government of the United States" in the wake of last week's insurrection.

The closed ceremony took place in the East Room, according to NBC.

A representative for Keith declined to comment; a Skaggs representative could not be reached for comment before publication time.

Keith, known for songs such as "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" and "Red Solo Cup," performed at the 2017 Trump inauguration.

Earlier this week New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick declined to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from the president.

Trump on Wednesday became the first U.S. President to be impeached twice. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will decide when to transmit the article to the Senate, which must either dismiss the charge or hold a trial. At least 67 of the 100 senators are needed for conviction, which would require Trump’s removal from office.

Contributing: USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Impeachment: Toby Keith, Ricky Skaggs receive medals from Trump