Trump Jr, MAGA supporters slam Biden for awarding Soros with US medal of freedom

President-elect Donald Trump's son, Elon Musk and several others were not in favour of George Soros being awarded the highest civilian award in the country

Updated on: Jan 5, 2025, 16:42:45 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Ria Amol Wadikar

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Republicans and allies of president-elect Donald Trump expressed their anger at outgoing US President Joe Biden for awarding the medal of freedom to businessman and philanthropist George Soros on Sunday.

George Soros, founder and chairman of the Open Society Foundations, was awarded the US medal of freedom (Ronald Zak/AP)

George Soros was among 18 others who were awarded the highest civilian award in the US by President Joe Biden ahead of the beginning of Donald Trump's term. Other awardees were Hillary Clinton, footballer Lionel Messi, U2 frontman Bono and actor Denzel Washington.

The award was collected on George Soros' behalf by his son Alex Soros. A White House statement said, that Soros' philanthropic organisation, Open Society Foundation, had aided "global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice."

Soros was not the only controversial recipient of the award, with democrat Hillary Clinton also facing backlash.

Trump Jr on award to Soros

The president-elect's son, Donald Trump Jr, responding to a viral video on X where a pizza delivery man saved people from a fire, saying, “This guy deserves the presidential medal of freedom… Not the clowns like Soros and the others who got it from Biden this week."

Also Read: Who is Mike Johnson, new US House Speaker re-elected amid Republican dissent?

Vice-president-elect JD Vance also posted on X, poking fun at the Biden administration's choice, “Looking forward to Biden giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumously) to Pol Pot and Count Dracula.”

Also Read: George Soros gets US' top civilian award, Elon Musk furious

Republican leader Nikki Haley also expressed her outrage at Soros receiving the award on X, saying, “Giving George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom is another slap in the face of America after reducing the sentences of murderers and pardoning his son. 16 days is a long time until the Inauguration. What is he capable of sliding in next? January 20th can’t come soon enough.”

Also Read: BJP intensifies attack over Cong links to Soros, Oppn hits back

Tesla CEO Elon Musk also called Soros receiving the award ‘a travesty’. One user shared a clip of Musk voicing his opinions about George Soros earlier on the 'Joe Rogan Experience' podcast.

In the clip shared by the user, Musk claims, “ [George Soros] fundamentally hates humanity. He's doing things that erode the fabric of civilisation.”

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HT News Desk
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