I assume that at one point in history, presidential medals were seen as nonpartisan symbols of recognition, reserved for those who truly went above and beyond with their contributions and service to our nation. Yet recent awards, particularly those from Democrat presidents, suggest that these honors have become increasingly politicized and raise serious questions about their value and purpose.
This week, President Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 recipients. Among them were prominent activists for gay marriage and abortion, figures whose selection was as controversial as it was symbolic. Other recipients included Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the lawmakers who led the partisan House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. That committee faced widespread criticism for its lack of balance, destroying evidence, manipulating evidence, and witness tampering. Awarding medals to its leaders only underscores how partisan this process has become.
Mary Bonauto, a key attorney in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, was also honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal, as was Evan Wolfson, a prominent activist in the campaign to push the redefinition of marriage federally. Eleanor Smeal, the longtime president of the Feminist Majority Foundation and a staunch advocate for abortion, was another recipient. Smeal, a lapsed Catholic, has spent decades attacking Church teachings, accusing the Church of misogyny, and pushing for policies directly opposing Catholic doctrine. CatholicVote decried Biden’s decision to honor Smeal, calling it an affront to the Church’s pro-life and pro-family values.
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This isn’t the first time Biden has faced backlash for his choices. In November, he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood, under whose leadership the organization performed over 3.8 million abortions. Last year, Biden gave Presidential Medals of Freedom to political allies like James Clyburn, whose endorsement arguably saved his 2020 campaign, and Nancy Pelosi — though he may regret doing that now.
This trend isn’t exclusive to Biden. Barack Obama also made controversial choices during his presidency, such as awarding a posthumous Medal of Freedom to Harvey Milk in 2009. Milk is lionized as a gay rights icon but is also a deeply divisive figure since he was a pedophile. Obama further sullied the medal’s prestige by handing it to Hollywood celebrities like Robert De Niro, Ellen DeGeneres, and Lorne Michaels, whose “service” to the nation seems dubious at best.
In fairness, Republican presidents have awarded presidential medals to those who align with their values as well. And while we can dismiss this as just the way things are, it sure feels like presidential medals increasingly serve political agendas and are less about giving awards to those who truly deserve them. But when Democrats recognize blatantly controversial figures, often for causes central to their platform, it devalues these once-prestigious honors.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Biden gives one to Kamala Harris on their way out of the White House as a consolation prize for losing the election.
If presidential medals are awarded only to party loyalists or ideological allies, their meaning and purpose become hollow. Instead of uniting Americans around shared values, they now divide, prompting many to wonder: do presidential medals mean anything anymore?
