Presidential Medal of Freedom 2022: Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe & More Get A Civilian’s Highest Honor

By:

Elissa Anderson

July 7, 2022 4:00PM EDT

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2022 Presidential Medal Of Freedom: Photos

2022 Presidential Medal Of Freedom: Photos — Celebrating heroes. President Joe Biden honored 17 people with the Presidental Medal Of Freedom on Jul. 7, 2022, inviting the group of inspiring individuals to The Capitol for the highest civilian honor in the nation.

The President called the group an ‘extraordinary group of Americans’ on stage. In his remarks, the President sent a message of unity, telling Americans ensuring freedom was ‘the soul of our nation.’’Among the honorees were Olympians Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, and a posthumous honor for Steve Jobs, in addition to others.

Here, gymnast Simone Biles beams while President Joe Biden bestows her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jul. 7, 2022. Simone is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, winning 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, and is an advocate on issues including athletes’ mental health, children in foster care, and sexual assault victims.

Ready for more moments from the 2022 Presidential Medal Of Freedom ceremony? Click through the gallery for all the best photos.

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President Biden Speaks

President Biden Speaks — US President Joe Biden speaks before awarding 17 recipients with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Jul. 7, 2022. It was a special group of individuals.

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Simone Biles Accepts Her Medal Of Freedom

Simone Biles Accepts Her Medal Of Freedom — Gymnast Simone Biles accepts the Medal of Freedom from United States President Joe Biden during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. She wore a sparkling black suit and looked thrilled.

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Megan Rapinoe Receives Her Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Megan Rapinoe Receives Her Presidential Medal Of Freedom — President Joe Biden awards the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Megan Rapinoe at the White House in Washington. She wore a white suit with a the letters ‘BG’ and a flower embroidered into the lapel, in honor of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is currently being detained in Russia.

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Kamala Harris Attends The Presidential Medal Of Freedom Ceremony

Kamala Harris Attends The Presidential Medal Of Freedom Ceremony — Here comes the Veep! Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff arrive to attend a ceremony to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 people on Jul. 7, 2022.

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Gaby Giffords Recieves The Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Gaby Giffords Recieves The Presidential Medal Of Freedom — U.S. President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a survivor of gun violence and the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate. She continues to fight hard for firearm reform.

Gabby said in a statement she was ‘humbled and honored’ by the award. She wrote, ‘Since I was shot more than 11 years ago, my personal recovery journey has taught me that it’s not the setback that defines us: it’s how we respond to it. There have been no shortage of setbacks as I relearned how to talk and how to walk, just as there have been no shortage of setbacks in the fight for gun safety that I’ve dedicated my life to. And yet I’ve never lost hope. One of my reasons for hope sits inside the Oval Office today, elected to accomplish the near-impossible task of healing a divided nation.’

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Joe Biden Addresses The Public

Joe Biden Addresses The Public — United States President Joe Biden makes remarks prior to awarding the Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

Reflecting on the week, which included the 4th of July, he said, ‘On Monday, we celebrated the independence of our nation, a nation always a work in progress in creation of possibilities, the fulfillment of promises. That’s the American story. It’s not a simple one. It’s never been a simple one, but the fourth of July week reminds us what brought us together long ago and still binds us, binds us at our best.

‘We strive for — what we strive for, we, the people, doing what we can to ensure the idea of America, a cause of freedom shines like the sun to light up the future of the world. That’s the soul of our nation. That’s who we are as Americans. And that’s what we see, an extraordinary, extraordinary group of Americans up here on this stage that I have the honor to recognize today with the presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian award.’

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Sister Simone Campbell Receives The Medal Of Freedom

Sister Simone Campbell Receives The Medal Of Freedom — President Joe Biden awards the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Sister Simone Campbell. Campbell is a member of the Sisters of Social Service and former Executive Director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is also a prominent advocate for economic justice, immigration reform, and healthcare policy.

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Father Alexander Karloutsos Receives The Medal Of Freedom

Father Alexander Karloutsos Receives The Medal Of Freedom — President Joe Biden gives Father Alexander Karloutsos his medal. Father Karloutsos is the former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. After over 50 years as a priest, providing counsel to several U.S. presidents, he was named by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as a Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

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Alan Simpson Receives The Medal Of Freedom

Alan Simpson Receives The Medal Of Freedom — President Joe Biden gives former Republican Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson his honor. He was an opponent of Donald Trump, despite his party’s unwavering loyalty.

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Diane Nash Receives The Medal Of Freedom

Diane Nash Receives The Medal Of Freedom — President Joe Biden awards the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Diane Nash at the White House in Washington. She is a civil rights activist who has been working for decades.

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Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Receives Her Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Receives Her Presidential Medal Of Freedom — Retired Brigadier General Wilma Vaught recieves her Presidential Medal of Freedom. Brigadier General Wilma Vaught is one of the most decorated women in the history of the U.S. military, repeatedly breaking gender barriers as she rose through the ranks. When she retired in 1985, she was one of only seven women generals in the Armed Forces.

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Laurene Powell Jobs Receives Her Husband’s Posthumous Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Laurene Powell Jobs Receives Her Husband’s Posthumous Presidential Medal Of Freedom — A legacy remembered. Laurene Powell Jobs receives the Presidential Medal Of Freedom in honor of her late husband, Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple Inc.

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Cindy McCain Receives Her Father’s Posthumous Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Cindy McCain Receives Her Father’s Posthumous Presidential Medal Of Freedom — President Joe Biden stands with Cindy McCain as he posthumously awards her late father Sen. John McCain of Arizona with the Presidential Medal Of Freedom. McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later served in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008.

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Nurse Sandra Lindsay Receives Her Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Nurse Sandra Lindsay Receives Her Presidential Medal Of Freedom — New York nurse Sandra Lindsay is glowing during the Presidential Medal Of Freedom ceremony at The White House. She rolled up her sleeve on live television in December 2020 to receive the first COVID-19 vaccination that was administered in the United States.

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Khizr Khan Receives His Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Khizr Khan Receives His Presidential Medal Of Freedom — Gold Star father Khizr Khan shakes hands with President Biden during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Khan, an immigrant from Pakistan whose son was killed in Iraq while serving in the U.S. Army, gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump’s wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

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Fred Gray Recieves His Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Fred Gray Recieves His Presidential Medal Of Freedom — Fred Gray received his Presidential Medal Of Freedom on Jul. 7, 2022. Fred Gray was one of the first black members of the Alabama State legislature since Reconstruction. As an attorney, he represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin Luther King, who called him ‘the chief counsel for the protest movement.’

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