Biden holds final Medal of Freedom ceremony, honoring Hillary Clinton, Bono and more
By Donald Judd, CNN
(CNN) — President Joe Biden awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 19 people on Saturday, recognizing a broad swath of luminaries across politics, culture and the arts, including former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, designer Ralph Lauren, U2 frontman Bono and philanthropist and megadonor George Soros.
“For the final time as president I have the honor of bestowing the Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, to a group of extraordinary — truly extraordinary people who gave their sacred effort to shape the culture and the cause of America,” Biden said in brief remarks.
The medal is presented to people “who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” according to a White House statement. Biden himself is a recipient, having been presented with the medal by then-President Barack Obama in the closing days of the latter’s administration.
“President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else,” the White House said in the statement. “These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”
Two prominent American political figures were posthumously honored: former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and former Michigan Gov. George Romney, the father of former Sen. Mitt Romney.
Kerry Kennedy accepted the award on her father’s behalf. As Kennedy pointed out the family members in the crowd, Biden joked, “Anyone not a Kennedy, stand up.” Romney likewise accepted the honor on behalf of his father.
In remarks eulogizing Robert F. Kennedy’s wife, Ethel, last year, Biden said he had “only two political heroes in my life: Dr. (Martin Luther King Jr.) and Bobby Kennedy,” while noting he’d decorated his Oval Office with a bust of Kennedy. The storied political family made national headlines in recent months with the Kennedys’ second-eldest son, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., controversially chosen by President-elect Donald Trump as his pick for the next Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
Biden has previously recognized a number of political allies with the award, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn last year.
Clinton, who was joined by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, received a standing ovation during the ceremony Saturday.
The president’s decision to honor Hillary Clinton caps off a long history of mutual admiration between the two Democratic leaders and comes after the Clintons honored Biden with the Clinton Global Citizen Award in a surprise ceremony in New York last September. Accepting the award, an emotional Biden thanked the former secretary of state “for the way you have helped me, the way you’ve spoken up for me with such passion.”
“I can’t tell you, you can ask Jill, I — anyway, I love you. I love you,” Biden said.
The president also recognized Soros, a liberal megadonor who the White House says “has supported organizations, and projects across the world that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice,” and famed Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who hosted political fundraisers for the Biden campaign.
Lauren, a design industry titan, was also among the honorees Saturday. Lauren’s clothing has long been a favorite of the Biden family, including first lady Jill Biden, who wore a Ralph Lauren design on the cover of Vogue in August, and first granddaughter Naomi Biden, who wore a Ralph Lauren dress for her White House wedding in 2022.
Celebrity chef, humanitarian and outspoken Trump critic José Andrés was recognized for his work with the World Central Kitchen, which the White House says “has revolutionized the way food aid reaches communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world.”
In entertainment, actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington were honored, along with retired NBA player Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Washington was scheduled to be among those honored in 2022, but hehad to pull out of the ceremony after testing positive for Covid-19.
When Biden put Johnson’s medal on him, the 6-foot-9 basketball star crouched down, which drew laughter from the crowd.
One honoree not in attendance Saturday was soccer superstar Lionel Messi, who the White House said had “scheduling conflicts” that prevented him from attending the ceremony. Messi still received his award, the White House said.
Bono, a musician and humanitarian Bono, last year joined Jill Biden in her box at the State of the Union address, where he was recognized for his work fighting AIDS and building support for the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which celebrated its 20th-anniversary last year. Bono and his U2 bandmates were also among the honorees for 2022’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony.
In the field of science, Biden recognized Planetary Society CEO and television host Bill Nye and world-famous conservationist Jane Goodall. Nye has partnered with the administration in the past to further the Biden White House’s climate initiatives.
Posthumous medals were awarded to civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer and former Defense Secretary Ash Carter. LGBT advocate Tim Gill, private equity leader David Rubenstein, and American Film Institute and Kennedy Center Honors founder George Stevens Jr. rounded out the list of honorees.
This article and headline have been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg and Shania Shelton contributed to this report.
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