By Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A winner of seven Olympic gold medals, a frontrunner of the Mississippi civil rights wrestle and a pioneer of tv’s tabloid speak present style are a part of this yr’s class of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients.
U.S. President Joe Biden prolonged the best U.S. civilian award to 19 individuals, together with Crew USA swimmer Katie Ledecky, the assassinated civil rights chief Medgar Evers and tv host Phil Donahue.
“Do not let age get in your means,” Biden, the oldest U.S. president at 81, mentioned to Ledecky, 27, as he inspired her to hunt extra medals throughout an awards ceremony on the White Home on Friday. “Katie, age is only a quantity, child.”
The honoree listing performs particular homage to “firsts” of their area, together with the “Every part In all places All at As soon as” actress Michelle Yeoh, who was the primary Asian to win the Academy Award for Finest Actress; Ellen Ochoa, the primary Hispanic girl in house; and Jim Thorpe, the versatile athlete who turned the primary Native American to win an Olympic gold medal in 1912.
Biden additionally celebrated some key political allies within the Democratic Celebration, from Consultant Jim Clyburn, who rescued his 2020 presidential major bid with an endorsement in South Carolina, to Nancy Pelosi, who shepherded his legislative agenda by way of Congress as Home of Representatives speaker till final yr.
Additionally included are a number of one-time presidential candidates, former Senator Elizabeth Dole, former Vice President Al Gore, one-time Secretary of State John Kerry and former New York Metropolis Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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“After profitable the favored vote, he accepted the end result of a disputed presidential election for the sake of unity and belief in our establishments,” Biden mentioned of Gore’s concession to George W. Bush within the 2000 election, a jab at ex-President Donald Trump, who has by no means conceded his 2020 loss to Biden.
“That to me was wonderful what you probably did, Al. I will not go into that.” The comment drew some laughter.
“In my opinion, the final two guys ought to be standing right here at this podium,” Biden mentioned of Gore and Kerry.
Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman who strayed from the Republican Celebration he as soon as referred to as dwelling, could change into an necessary monetary backer of the president’s 2024 reelection marketing campaign.
Biden additionally honored Father Greg Boyle, a Catholic priest who based the gang intervention program Homeboy Industries; Opal Lee, an activist who pushed for Juneteenth to be a vacation marking the top of slavery in the USA; Senator Frank Lautenberg, a client security advocate; astrophysicist Jane Rigby; United Farm Staff president Teresa Romero; LGBT advocate Judy Shepard; and Clarence B. Jones, who helped draft Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
