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The outgoing President of the United States, Joe Biden, has – according to tradition – awarded honors in the form of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a total of 19 recipients.
Among them are former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U2 singer and activist Bono and soccer player Lionel Messi.
At a White House ceremony, Biden praised the group of ‘truly extraordinary people who have made a sacred effort – a sacred effort – to shape America’s culture and cause.’
Hillary Clinton, who is a former first lady, senator and US secretary of state, was honored for “making history several times over decades of public service.”
Clinton was the first woman nominated by a major party for a US presidential election, the White House wrote in a statement.
Among the honorees is also billionaire and philanthropist George Soros, who is honored for having ‘supported organizations and projects worldwide that strengthen democracy, human rights, education and social justice’.
Also honored are researcher and environmentalist Jane Goodall, basketball legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, longtime Vogue editor Anna Wintour, fashion designer Ralph Lauren and actors Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox.
Some people receive a Medal of Freedom after their death. It concerns the black civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and former attorney general and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, who was killed in 1968.
Biden’s choice of Medal of Freedom recipients reflects a desire to make a final mark before he leaves the White House on January 20.
Among the recipients who are no longer alive was former Michigan Governor and Housing Secretary George Romney. His son Mitt Romney accepted the medal on his father’s behalf.
Mitt Romney was one of the few Republicans who voted in 2021 to impeach former President Donald Trump for sedition.
On Thursday, Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney. She was a member of the committee that investigated the storming of Congress on January 6, 2021 and Trump’s role in the dramatic events.
The medal for Cheney sparked strong criticism from Trump.
On Friday, he wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, that Cheney is ‘completely corrupt’ and that ‘Biden only rewarded her because she hated ‘TRUMP’.’
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Source: politiken.dk
