Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to 19 ‘great leaders’
The recipients are "good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world".
President Joe Biden awarded the United States’ top civilian honour to 19 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 endeavours.”
Included in the 19 recipients are George Soros, the Holocaust survivor and billionaire donor to progressive and Democratic causes, businessman and philanthropist David Rubenstein and the fashion designer Ralph Lauren, who was born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx.
According to the White House, President Biden believes “great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else”. The recipients are “good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world”.
Biden’s selection of Soros, 94, to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom is notable because Soros’ giving has made him a frequent target of criticism and invective from right-wingers around the world. Some of the criticism has been explicitly antisemitic or resembled age-old conspiracy theories about Jewish power.
The formal comments at the White House ceremony noted Soros’ Jewish identity, saying, “Born into a Jewish family in Hungary, George Soros escaped Nazi occupation to build a life of freedom for himself and countless others around the world.”
Biden’s decision to give Soros the honor spurred criticism from some conservatives, including Elon Musk, the billionaire who is closely involved with the incoming Trump administration. Musk called Soros’ award a “travesty” in a post on X, the social media company he owns.
Soros’ son Alex, who assumed the helm of the family’s Open Society Foundations charity last year, accepted the award on behalf of his father, who is 94.
Ralph Lauren is the first fashion designer to receive the Medal of Freedom. The fashion world has been notably absent from the event in the past, but was well represented this year with Vogue’s editor in chief, Anna Wintour also receiving the top honour.
The White House said in a statement that Lauren “redefined the fashion industry with a lifestyle brand that embodies timeless elegance and American tradition.”
“Ralph Lauren designed not only clothes but a new American identity, full of inspiration, dreams and a sense of belonging,” President Biden said during the medal ceremony.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem congratulated Lauren on X, saying he made history. “This prestigious award, given only to those who have made an extraordinary contribution to American society, is a testament to Lauren’s enormous influence in the fields of culture, fashion and philanthropy.
“Ralph Lauren is the first Jew to receive this honour in the fashion world. Born to a humble Jewish family in Brooklyn as Ralph Lipshitz, Ralph Lauren designed not only clothes but also dreams and values that connect people from all over the world.”
Other recipients include Hillary Clinton, Michael J Fox, Jane Goodall, Earvin Magic Johnson, Lionel Messi, Denzel Washinton and more.
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