WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor to more than a dozen politicians, philanthropists and cultural icons during a ceremony at the White House Saturday.
Nineteen individuals received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire donor George Soros. Four people were honored posthumously.
In a speech at the ceremony, Biden called the award recipients, “a collection of people, with different backgrounds and beliefs and talents, different generations and different agendas, using their remarkable gifts and unwavering passion to strengthen our resolve as one nation under god indivisible, liberty and justice for all.”
He addressed the group, telling them, “you answered the call to serve and led others to do the same thing, and you defend the values of America even when they’re under attack, because they have been.”
The medal is “presented to individuals 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,” the White House said in a news release ahead of the ceremony.
“These nineteen Americans are great leaders who have made America a better place,” the statement added. “They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”
Clinton received the award about two weeks before her former political rival, President-elect Donald Trump, will be sworn in for a second term. In 2016, Clinton became the first woman nominated by a major party for president before losing to Trump.
Soros, who founded the Open Society Foundations, has contributed more than $32 billion to his organization, which supports a variety of human rights and pro-democracy causes, according to his website. He is also a major Democratic donor.
Other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday included humanitarian and chef José Andrés, whose World Central Kitchen has helped provide food for civilians in war zones and areas hit by natural disasters; Jane Goodall, a highly acclaimed conservationist and scientist; and Bill Nye, a science educator who rose to fame with the show “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”
Several entertainment, sports and cultural icons were also honored, including U2 singer Bono, actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington, athletes Lionel Messi and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and fashion icons Anna Wintour and Ralph Lauren.
Biden also honored multiple recipients posthumously, including Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during a presidential run. Kennedy was a senator representing New York and had served as attorney general during the administration of his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
Also honored posthumously was Ashton Carter, who was secretary of defense during the Obama administration and oversaw the United States’ push against the Islamic State, and George Romney, the governor of Michigan during the 1960s and the father of former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
Biden himself received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017 during the final days of the Obama administration. Then-President Barack Obama surprised Biden with the award, which was presented “with distinction,” an added honor.
Biden has awarded the medal to dozens of others during his four years in office. The ceremonies usually take place about once a year, though Biden also awarded former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards with the medal in November.
Earlier this week, Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 recipients, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. Thompson and Cheney served on the House Jan. 6 committee and have faced Trump’s ire. The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second-highest civilian honor, behind the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
