Tributes and important appearances President Joe Biden held a ceremony at the White House this Friday (5/1) to award the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 18 personalities, including […]
Notable tributes and attendance
President Joe Biden held a ceremony at the White House this Friday (5/1) to present the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 18 personalities, including Denzel Washington, Hillary Clinton, Bono, Jane Goodall and Michael J. Volpe.
The ceremony, held in the East Room, was attended by family and friends of the awardees, as well as members of the Kennedy family, on the occasion of the awarding of a posthumous medal to Robert F. Kennedy, assassinated in 1968.
Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation after receiving her medal, while her husband, former President Bill Clinton, attended the honor alongside First Lady Jill Biden.
Moments of relaxation and solidarity
Magic Johnson, a former NBA player, knelt to make it easier to place the medal around his neck due to his height compared to Biden. Denzel Washington, after receiving the honor, hugged the president in gratitude.
Michael J. Fox was honored not only for his acting career, but also for his activism in Parkinson’s research. After receiving the medal and returning to his seat showing advanced signs of the disease, Bono, lead singer of U2 and also honored, squeezed his shoulder in a gesture of support.
Other winners
Also among the honorees were the founder of the American Film Institute, George Stevens Jr., the fashion designer Ralph Lauren and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, honored for her philanthropic work and support for the Democratic Party.
Notable absences
Lionel Messi, listed among the awardees, did not attend the ceremony due to scheduling problems, as reported by White House representatives. Not even George Soros, a major Democratic Party donor and frequent target of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, was present. His son, Alex Soros, received the medal in his name.
Soros’ choice among the honorees follows a tradition of including political allies and donors in presidential campaigns. During Donald Trump’s administration, for example, the honor was granted to conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and philanthropist Miriam Adelson.
Source: Terra
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