(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Outgoing President Joe Biden came under fire on Saturday for awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to several controversial figures, including many opponents of President-elect Donald Trump.
Notable recipients included twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney’s late father George W. Romney, and leftist billionaire George Soros.
Also recognized was chef José Andrés, who was reportedly pictured with Ryan Wesley Routh, the individual accused of plotting a second assassination attempt on Trump.
WTF?
Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jose Andres, who was photographed with Trump’s attempted assassin. pic.twitter.com/6yCrcgC2It
— Jack (@jackunheard) January 4, 2025
“These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place,” the Biden White House stated in a press release.
“They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world,” the statement added
Despite these praises, numerous Republican officials, conservative commentators and prominent journalists condemned the awards, citing the recipients’ controversial records.
For example, Soros has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to elect radical leftist prosecutors, who religiously implement “woke” policies once in office. These so-called Soros prosecutors often refuse to prosecute crimes and undermine law enforcement.
We at @theMRC acquired 7,786 pages of internal communications between Soros prosecutors, revealing how Soros not only got these prosecutors elected but continues to control themhttps://t.co/jCHeSRNkSA
— Dan Schneider (@Schneider_DC) August 12, 2024
Many of these prosecutors would ultimately lose their re-elections after citizens grew frustrated with the negative implications of these policies, including rising crime rates.
“Biden is ending his term in disgrace,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X. He accused Biden of celebrating “shamed politicians like Liz Cheney and Hillary Clinton who lied to the American people and did everything they could to try to take down President Trump.”
Tech mogul Elon Musk said it was a “travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom.”
Best-selling author Miranda Devine expressed her disbelief, stating, “Unbelievable. Well, really, all too believable. No less galling.”
Renowned journalist and author David Marcus also criticized Biden’s recognition of Soros, highlighting the latter’s financial backing of soft-on-crime prosecutors.
“The number of deaths in our major cities directly caused by Soros’ pro criminal activism and funding in local elections numbers at least in the tens of thousands. Possibly the hundreds of thousands,” Marcus wrote on X.
This is not the first time Biden has been criticized for honoring controversial figures. Last week, he recognized disgraced former Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson for their roles in leading the anti-Trump Jan. 6th Committee.
🚨Joe Biden just awarded Liz Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal for “putting the American people over party." pic.twitter.com/EGuvD6R7IL
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 2, 2025
