Folks, it's my honor to present the nineteen extraordinary Americans who will join me at the White House this afternoon to receive our nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. pic.twitter.com/hkzP3ng5BU
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 3, 2024
A selection of people who genuinely represent the best of America, and the President who takes delight in recognizing every facet of American greatness!
Per the Washington Post [gift link]:
… During a ceremony held at the White House on Friday, Biden said he had the “extraordinary honor to bestow the nation’s highest civilian honor to 19 incredible people whose relentless curiosity, inventiveness, ingenuity and hope have kept faith in a better tomorrow.”
On Friday, Biden introduced all the nominees with brief descriptions of their work and contributions to the nation.
Biden joked that he was forced to write short introductions or else, “we’d be here for 12 hours.”
“[There is] much more to say about them,” Biden said. “But you all know how incredible they are.”…
During his presidential tenure, Biden has awarded the medals to a range of figures, including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, inventor Steve Jobs and Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse in New York who treated patients during the pandemic…
Here’s the complete ceremony via YouTube, if you want to watch some very happy & deserving people (or their families) be recognized, in alphabetical order. The actual medal-awarding starts at approximately 23min; fan favorite Nancy Pelosi comes on at ~43min:
Saturday Morning Open Thread: The Presidential Medal of FreedomPost + Comments (35)