Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

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Recipients include musician Bono, actor Michael J. Fox, basketball star ‘Magic’ Johnson, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

President Joe Biden announced 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jan. 4, with a list that includes famous actors, musicians, athletes, scientists, entrepreneurs, and political leaders.

The nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is awarded 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.”

Biden will present the awards at a White House ceremony on Saturday.

“President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else,” the White House wrote in a news release.

“These nineteen Americans 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.”

Three of the recipients are past political leaders from across the ideological spectrum: former Democratic Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, former Republican Michigan Gov. George Romney, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat.

Kennedy was honored for his work combatting racial segregation during the civil rights era and his efforts as a senator to fight poverty and inequality. Romney, the father of former Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), was also the chairman and president of American Motors Corporation and 3rd secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Clinton was honored for her record of public service, where she became the first First Lady to be elected to the Senate and the first woman nominated for president by a major party.

Other recipients include musician Bono from the band U2, actor Michael J. Fox, conservationist Jane Goodall, NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, soccer star Lionel Messi, scientist and TV star William “Bill” Sanford Nye, actor Denzel Washington, and left-wing donor and philanthropist George Soros.

Many of the award winners were recognized for their charity efforts outside of their daily careers, including Fox, who is a “world-renowned advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and development.”

“[Goodall] is a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist whose research transformed our understanding of primates and human evolution. She is a passionate advocate for empowering individuals and communities to protect and preserve the natural world,” the White House wrote.

Soros, who is often criticized by Republicans for his donations to politicians and causes associated with the Democratic Party and other liberal movements worldwide, was honored for supporting “organizations and projects across the world that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice.”

The remaining recipients are renowned chef José Andrés, former Secretary of Defense Ashton Baldwin Carter, entrepreneur Tim Gill, Civil Rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, writer and playwright George Stevens, Jr., and Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.