‘A travesty’: Joe Biden slammed for giving top donor George Soros, and others, America’s highest civilian honour

The outgoing American President, Joe Biden, has been slammed for awarding a prestigious honour to several dubious people.

The outgoing American President, Joe Biden, has been slammed for awarding a prestigious honour to actors, fashion moguls, politicians, sportspeople and, most significantly, a billionaire most famous for donating huge sums of money to his party.

Mr Biden handed out the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest honour for a civilian, to 19 people today, about a fortnight before he relinquishes power to Donald Trump, who won the election in November.

Let’s first run through the recipients, in alphabetical order.

Jose Andres, a chef and restaurateur, is the founder of World Central Kitchen, which provides food relief in the wake of natural disasters.

Bono, the lead singer of U2, has a long record of activism and philanthropic activities, most significantly in the fight against AIDS.

Ash Carter, who died in 2022, was a long-term national security official who served as secretary of defence under one of Mr Biden’s predecessors, Democrat Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton was America’s first lady during the presidency of her husband, Bill Clinton, then a senator representing New York, and then secretary of state, the equivalent of Australia’s foreign minister. She was the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2016.

Hillary Clinton receiving her medal. Picture: Chris Kleponis/AFP

Michael J. Fox is a decorated actor. You might know him best from the Back to the Future franchise. Having suffered from Parkinson’s disease, he has been a leading figure in trying to find a cure, and in funding research.

Tim Gill, an entrepreneur, was included for his “work advancing LGBTQI rights and equality”, including his part in the effort to legalise same-sex marriage.

Jane Goodall is a British zoologist and anthropologist, best known for her worth with chimpanzees. She was picked for her work on conservation and animal welfare issues.

Fannie Lou Hamer, who died in 1977, was an American civil rights leader and women’s rights advocate. Ms Hamer played a crucial role in the passage of her nation’s Voting Rights Act, which barred disenfranchisement based on race.

Magic Johnson was a legendary basketball player. In retirement, he has devoted time to a good deal of philanthropy.

Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of former president John F. Kennedy, served as attorney-general in the 1960s. He was subsequently assassinated, in 1968, during his own presidential campaign.

Bobby Kennedy.

Ralph Lauren is a fashion designer who, in the words of the White House’s press release, “redefined the fashion industry with a lifestyle brand that embodies timeless elegance and American tradition”.

Lionel Messi, the Argentinian football player, signed with American club Inter Miami in 2023, giving an unprecedented boost to the sport, at least in the US. He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

William Sanford Nye, better known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, featured in my childhood as the man in educational videos we watched throughout middle school. Mr Biden has also recognised him as “a vocal advocate for space exploration and environmental stewardship”.

George Romney was a businessman and, for a time, the governor of Michigan. He’s best known now for being the father of Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and subsequently a senator representing Utah.

David Rubenstein is a financier (having co-founded The Carlyle Group), philanthropist and an advocate for the restoration of historic landmarks.

George Soros is a billionaire, and a frequent character in right-wing conspiracy theories, who is perhaps best known for donating tonnes of money to the Democrats. Here is how the White House described his resume: “George Soros is an investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Open Society Foundations. Through his network of foundations, partners and projects in more than 120 countries, Soros has focused on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice.”

You may judge for yourself whether Mr Soros would be receiving a Medal of Freedom, today, if he had used his considerable wealth to support Republican politicians.

Alex Soros accepting the medal for his father, George. That’s Mitt Romney in the background, who was there to accept the posthumous medal for his own father. Picture: Chris Kleponis/AFP

George Soros. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

George Stevens is a writer, director, author and playwright. He’s been recognised for “preserving the best of American film and performing arts”, and for founding the American Film Institute.

Denzel Washington. Come on, you know Denzel. He was just the only unambiguously good part of Gladiator II.

Finally, Anna Wintour has been the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988. The White House described her as “a champion for philanthropic causes”.

Mr Biden giving Anna Wintour a little kiss, for some reason. Picture: Tom Brenner/Getty

So the critiques here are obvious. Everyone on that list, including anyone being recognised posthumously, is among the rich and famous. They’re not exactly your average person, being recognised for otherwise small and selfless deeds.

Look. Mr Biden is hardly alone in focusing on such people.

Mr Trump, during his first term, gave the medal to folks including: major Republican Party donor Miriam Adelson, Republican-aligned economist Art Laffer, golfers Tiger Woods, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam, baseballer Babe Ruth, singer Elvis Presley, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, and a handful of Republican politicians including Orrin Hatch, Jim Jordan and Devin Nunes.

So the fixation on celebrity, over quiet merit, is not new.

But the selection of Mr Soros, in particular, has done the thing news reports typically describe, euphemistically, as “raising eyebrows”.

The conservative equivalent: Trump-supporting radio host Rush Limbaugh was given the Medal of Freedom during on of the then-president’s State of the Union speeches. Picture: Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Steve Bannon, who served as Mr Trump’s top political adviser in the White House for an early chunk of his first term, was outraged by the award.

“The first thing President Trump should do now, given what Biden’s doing today with Soros and Clinton – we should have an exorcism,” said Mr Bannon.

“I think you have to have a Catholic priest and, I don’t know, bring a Protestant minister, bring whoever you want, bring a Shaman in, I don’t know. Let’s have an exorcism. You’ve got to drive the demons out.”

Mr Bannon was recently released from prison, having served a sentence for being in contempt of Congress. He is still facing trial for allegedly defrauding Trump supporters.

“Giving George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom is another slap in the face of America after reducing the sentences of murderers and pardoning his son,” former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who ran against Mr Trump for the Republican presidential nomination this year, said.

Ms Haley was referring to Mr Biden’s decision to grant a wide-ranging pardon to his own son, Hunter Biden, and to commute the sentences of all but three inmates on federal death row, reducing their death sentences to life imprisonment.

“January 20 can’t come soon enough,” she said, speaking of Mr Trump’s inauguration day.

On social media, the critics included Twitter boss Elon Musk, who said: “A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom.”