Biden's Awards Ceremonies: A Tone-Deaf Display Amidst Global Chaos

January 7, 2025 - While the world grapples with ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks and rising threats to global security, Joe Biden decided this was the perfect moment to hand out medals to liberal billionaires, political insiders, and fashion moguls. It’s as if the White House decided that optics don’t matter anymore—because why address terrorism or national security when you can throw a self-congratulatory awards ceremony instead? It’s Nero fiddling while Rome burns, except this time the fiddling is done with medals and photo ops.

So, this is how it ends—Joe Biden's presidency careening into the sunset in a haze of medals, billionaires, and political insiders. The man who campaigned on being “Scranton Joe” - the champion of the working class, wrapped up his final chapter by handing out Presidential Citizens Medals and Medals of Freedom like participation trophies at an elite country club.

Let’s break this down because it’s too ridiculous to gloss over. Liz Cheney—yes, that Liz Cheney—kicked off the honorees list. Apparently, being a Republican who decided she really doesn’t like Trump now qualifies as heroic. Never mind the decades she spent defending endless wars; she’s suddenly a liberal darling because she crossed Trump. It’s like giving an arsonist an award for calling 911 after setting the fire.

Then there’s George Soros, the billionaire financier whose name sends chills down the spine of most Americans. Biden giving Soros the nation’s highest civilian honor isn’t just tone-deaf—it’s a tweet storm waiting to happen. The message seems clear: “Hey Elon Musk, you may have Twitter, but we’ve got George Soros.” Instead of bridging the class divide, Biden doubled down and made it clear which billionaires get invited to his table. And it’s not just the medals—Soros’s influence runs deeper. Over the past decade, he has poured millions into funding campaigns for progressive district attorneys who champion soft-on-crime policies. The result? Cities plagued by skyrocketing crime rates, repeat offenders walking free, and a justice system that feels more like a revolving door than a deterrent. If Biden wanted end his presidency making a statement about public safety, honoring Soros sent exactly the wrong one.

And let’s not forget David Rubenstein, founder of The Carlyle Group—a guy who basically turned vulture capitalism into an art form. Here’s a man who buys companies, guts them, and sells off the scraps for profit, yet Biden decides he deserves the Medal of Freedom? Freedom from what—taxes?

If the liberal billionaires weren’t enough, there’s Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, who helped ensure Jill Biden landed on two covers while snubbing Melania Trump entirely. Her award wasn’t for journalism, mind you—it was for being a top-tier fundraiser for Biden’s campaign. Nothing screams “freedom” like giving medals to people who raise money for your re-election.

The New York Times, ever the cheerleader for the Democrat establishment politics, tried to spin this as Biden “sending an unmistakable message of support for democracy.” But honestly, it felt more like a retirement party for the D.C. cocktail circuit.

Biden ended the ceremony with an attempt at inspiration, urging Americans to “keep the faith.” But faith in what, exactly? Faith that billionaires and insiders will keep running the Democrat party? Faith that voters won’t notice the hypocrisy? Or maybe faith that nobody’s paying attention because of what’s going on in the real world?

For a president who promised to unify the country and rebuild the middle class, this was an ironic, and frankly sad, way to sign off. Instead of draining the swamp, Biden gave it medals and did it a victory lap.

And while Biden basks in his final act, ordinary Americans are still wondering where their medal is for surviving soaring inflation, rising crime, and a government that feels more out of touch than ever. Maybe next year’s honorees under President Trump will include a few grocery store clerks, truck drivers, nurses, members of the military, and first responders—the real backbone of this nation. If Biden thinks medals and photo ops will distract Americans from the reality of his failed administration, maybe he deserves an award too—for best performance in political theater.

Perry O Hooper Jr is a former State Representative who writes columns on his political perspective and has been published in a number of publications around Alabama and beyond. He was an early supporter of Donald Trump and was the 2016 Trump Victory Chair.

Opinions expressed in the Alabama Gazette are the opinions and viewpoints of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Alabama Gazette staff, advertisers, and/ publishers.