President Biden on Saturday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 new recipients, including George Soros and Hillary Clinton, in a move that drew the ire of top lawmakers and law enforcement experts.
Tim Sheehy, a new senator from Montana, said, “Hillary Clinton abandoned Navy SEALs in Libya, George Soros spent millions to elect politicians who were soft on crime, and criminals allowed them to wreak havoc on our nation's major cities.”
“Joe Biden's decision to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton and George Soros is a national embarrassment.”
Biden repeatedly thanked Soros on Saturday “for everything he has done to help this country.”
“Thank you for the work you do to inspire generations to come,” he told the honorees gathered in the East Room of the White House.
Soros, 94, was unable to accept the award in person, and his son and political heir, Alex Soros, accepted the honor on his behalf. The smiling young Soros is well acquainted with Biden and other top Democratic establishment figures.
The Soros quote reads: “Born into a Hungarian Jewish family, George Soros fled Nazi occupation and built a life of freedom for himself and countless others around the world.” There is.
“He became an investor and philanthropist and settled in America, supporting open societies, rights and justice, equity and equality, important pillars of freedom now and in the future. His inspiring generosity , a reminder of our ability and obligation to stand up against abuses of power and to be guardians of all people who aspire to democracy and freedom.”
Clinton received a standing ovation when she received the award for her work promoting universal health care, women's rights and democracy during her time as secretary of state.
Also in the audience Saturday was Mr. Biden's disgraced son Hunter, who had just received a major pardon from his father after pleading guilty in September to charges of tax evasion.
While most of the winners were undisputed figures, including animal rights activist Jane Goodall, musician Bono, fashion mogul Ralph Lauren, and soccer player Lionel Messi, Soros and Clinton were It was painful.
Democratic megadonors worth more than $7 billion have been funding far-left and progressive causes for decades, which critics say has led to dire social consequences. Meanwhile, Clinton has long been on the trail of controversy of her own.
“Joe Biden is spending his final days in office asking himself, 'How can I embarrass myself any further?'” And this is just the latest example. Hillary Clinton should have been indicted and not celebrated with the nation's highest civilian honor,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) told the Post.
“Soros' massive funding of Open Society to the far left has awakened criminal justice reform, and district attorney and mayoral candidates have wreaked havoc on the criminal justice system, causing a huge increase in crime and disorder. '' said former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. The Los Angeles police chief added that he was “disappointed” by Biden's decision to honor the nonagenarian investor.
“I don't know of any American city under them that has seen a decline in crime and disorder, and in most cases an increase. Fortunately, their police funding and other initiatives have They failed, and many American cities voted them out of office in favor of more traditional public safety approaches,” Bratton added.
President Trump's confidant Elon Musk called the Soros award a “travesty” on his X account.
At the local government level, Soros is most famous for funding far-left district attorneys. District attorneys have made careers refusing to prosecute criminals in favor of “restorative justice,” and often oversee spikes in crime. The most famous are Alvin Bragg in Manhattan, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Kim Foxx in Chicago, and George Gascon in Los Angeles.
Soros and his allies have also contributed to the blight in major cities through “harm reduction” drug policies. In New York City, a Soros-funded nonprofit drew eyebrows for giving away free needles, split pipes, and even equipment to “cook” heroin.
“This is a really sad day for America,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-New Jersey. “Communities across our country will likely never recover from the damage George Soros and his radical left prosecutors have inflicted on them.”
Ray Kelly, also a former New York City police commissioner, slammed Soros, saying, “I can't think of anyone who has done more to undermine the rule of law in this country than George Soros.''
Mr. Soros, whose funds are distributed by his Open Society Foundations and its affiliates, is also a major supporter of Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter is a network of frequently violent groups and activists whose leaders plunder public funds to pay for luxury real estate. In 2020, Soros donated more than $200 million to “dismantling systemic racism.”
