US President Joe Biden recognised the contributions of 19 public figures in politics, entertainment, sports and more through a ceremony at the White House for awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The honorees included some of the Democratic Party’s “best-known leaders and boosters: Hillary Clinton, philanthropist and major Democratic donor George Soros, and Robert F. Kennedy, who was given the recognition posthumously.” Others included Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, anthropologist Jane Goodall and actor Denzel Washington. Messi was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
What Is The US Presidential Medal Of Freedom
Why In News
- US President Joe Biden recognised the contributions of 19 public figures in politics, entertainment, sports and more through a ceremony at the White House for awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- The honorees included some of the Democratic Party’s “best-known leaders and boosters: Hillary Clinton, philanthropist and major Democratic donor George Soros, and Robert F. Kennedy, who was given the recognition posthumously.” Others included Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, anthropologist Jane Goodall and actor Denzel Washington. Messi was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
What Is The US Presidential Medal Of Freedom
- Presidential Medal of Freedom is the United States’ highest civilian honour, often given in recognition of a body of work over a person’s lifetime. A Congressional Research Service report from November 2024 says it was created by President Harry S. Truman (1945 to 1953) in 1945.
- Later re-named by President John F Kennedy in 1963, it allows the President to recognise “any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States
- (2) world peace
- (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
- The medal itself has a white star over a red pentagon, surrounded by five gold eagles. At its centre is a blue circle with 13 gold stars.
Who Gives Out The Presidential Medal Of Freedom
- The award is broad in scope and the qualifications required to receive it. The CRS report says, “There is no formal procedure for nominating and selecting recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- The President has wide latitude under Executive Order 11515 (March 13, 1970) to award the medal to ‘any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative.’” At times, members of the US Congress have sent letters of recommendation for the award.
What Is The Basis For These Choices
- The report adds that the selections of the awardees often reflect the US President’s political and personal interests. In Biden’s case, his list has been interpreted as support for the political and cultural establishment of the country at present, something incoming President Donald Trump has often rallied against.
- Notably, apart from Democratic party members and supporters, Biden also awarded Republican leader Mitt Romney, who contested and lost the 2012 presidential elections against Barack Obama. Romney has been critical of Trump in recent years.
- During Trump’s first presidential term beginning in 2017, awardees included the late Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia who was seen as a staunch conservative, longtime Republican senator Orrin Hatch and music legend Elvis Presley.
Criticism
- Elon Musk ignited a firestorm after President Joe Biden awarded billionaire financier George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Known for his sharp criticism of Soros, Musk called the recognition a “travesty” during a podcast appearance, claiming Soros “fundamentally hates humanity.”
