Outrage as pardoned Hunter Biden is invited to lame-duck Joe’s last Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

Hunter Biden’s attendance at his father’s last Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony has prompted outrage online.

Hunter was seen at the medal ceremony just one month after he was pardoned from his legal troubles by his father, who has recently been trolled for his final list of recipients of the nation’s highest civilian honor. 

Hunter shook hands with those who attended, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and applauded those awarded with former President Bill Clinton. 

He attended with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and his son Beau Jr. whilst chatting with others in the crowd. 

His presence at the ceremony stirred users on X, who hinted at the ever-apparent nepotism between the president and his son. 

‘Hunter already got the Grand Prize when his dad pardoned him for everything possible. So much for, “No one is above the law”,’ wrote one user. 

‘The look of someone who knows he broke the law repeatedly. Got extremely wealthy because of it and will face zero consequences because of it,’ said another. 

‘I’m surprised his daddy didn’t give him a medal,’ said a third tweeter. 

Another wrote: ‘Is Joe Biden also giving Hunter a medal of freedom? That would be about right.’ 

Among those receiving the highest civilian honor include Hillary Clinton, the former first lady, New York senator and Secretary of State, who was President-elect Donald Trump’s 2016 White House rival. 

Biden also awarded George Soros, considered the boogeyman of Democratic super donors, and restaurateur Jose Andres, who pulled out of a Trump hotel project due to the Republican’s anti-immigrant comments prompting a years-long legal battle. 

Soros received the award, the White House said, due to his foundation’s work to ‘strengthen democracy, human rights, education and social justice.’ 

Andres was awarded the distinction due to his charity World Central Kitchen’s efforts to feed people in war zones and in the aftermath of natural disasters. 

‘A proud immigrant dedicated to building longer tables, his World Central Kitchen has revolutionized the way food aid reaches communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world,’ the White House said. 

The 82-year-old gave a posthumous medal to Robert F. Kennedy, the late attorney general, senator and Democratic presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968.

RFK is the father of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran for president against Biden, then ran as an independent, and finally joined forces with Trump. Trump has since nominated RFK Jr. – a prominent anti-vaxxer – to serve as his Health and Human Services secretary. 

The White House did not respond to DailyMail.com’s inquiry on whether RFK Jr. was invited with other family members to the ceremony. 

Biden also posthumously honored former Michigan Gov. George Romney, who also served as the country’s third secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

George Romney is the late father of former Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee who became a vocal Trump critic. 

Romney concluded his single term in the U.S. Senate this week after twice voting to convict Trump on impeachment charges. 

Biden also presented awards to benefactors who’ve been good to him. 

Billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein received the honor – after letting the Bidens use his Nantucket waterfront home every Thanksgiving the Democrat was in the White House. 

Rubeinstein has also poured his millions into American cultural institutions – helping firm up the Washington Monument, provide for the panda program at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and purchase a copy of the Magna Carta that was at auction. 

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren was also presented with the medal. 

He designed granddaughter Naomi’s wedding dress for her November 2022 White House wedding. 

Lauren received the award, the White House said, due to his influence over ‘culture, business, and philanthropy, notably in the fight against cancer and the preservation of the Star-Spangled Banner.’ 

Anna Wintour – who oversaw a glamorous Vogue spread of said White House wedding – was also honred. 

She’s long been associated with Democratic causes and hosted fundraiser for Biden while he was still running in the 2024 campaign. 

‘A champion for philanthropic causes, she is also the leading architect behind the annual Met Gala fundraiser and chief content officer of Condé Nast,’ the White House said. 

A number of Hollywood types were also included on the list.

Actor Denzel Washington received the medal, as well as U2 frontman Bono – who’s done a lot of work in the HIV/AIDS space. 

Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox – who actually supported Biden rival Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential bid – also received the distinction. 

‘He is a world-renowned advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and development,’ the White House said. 

Bill Nye the Science Guy also received the award, along with conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall.

Biden wrote that Nye ‘has inspired and influenced generations of American students as ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy.’ 

From the athletic world, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson was honored. 

Tim Gill received it for advancing LBGTQ rights. 

Fannie Lou Hamer was honored posthumously for her civil rights work in the segregated south. 

Co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors, George Stevens, Jr., received the medal from the president.  

Additionally, the late Secretary of Defense Ash Carter was honored posthumously. 

Biden made the shock announcement to pardon Hunter in December of 2024 for any crimes he may have committed ‘from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024’. 

The move came after Biden said in June he would ‘not pardon’ his son, in an attempt to take moral high ground over president-elect Donald Trump who said he wants to pardon January 6 rioters. 

‘From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ Biden said in a statement.

The president claimed that people are ‘almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form… It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.’

Biden raged against ‘several of my political opponents in Congress’ who he claimed made the charges a public spectacle ‘to attack me and oppose my election.’

He added that the plea deal Hunter, who has since pledged to ‘make amends’ for his crimes, agreed to with the Department of Justice was a ‘fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.’ But that deal fell through at the last minute under political pressure.

‘No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because is my son – and that is wrong,’ he continued.

Biden says that there has been an effort to ‘break Hunter’ and destroy what he says is five-and-a-half years of sobriety.

 ‘In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.’

The president didn’t shy away from pointing out that the love of his son guided his decision-making but stressed that he was being ‘fair-minded.’

‘Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further.’

Hunter released a statement of his own, credited to his full name, ‘Robert Hunter Biden.’

‘I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,’ he said.

‘Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.’

‘In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages. In recovery we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded.’

‘I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.’

The pardon will cover both the gun charges and Hunter’s guilty plea. CNN reported that the judges overseeing his cases will most likely cancel the sentencing hearings he was due to attend on December 12 for the gun case and December 16 for the tax case.

The broad pardon also absolves him of any crimes since 2014 until 2024, which covers his entire tenure on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, as well as much of his other overseas work including in China.