Watch: Biden honors Cheney, others with Presidential Citizens Medal

The Hill Staff

2 January 2025 at 4:00 pm·1-min read

President Biden hosted a ceremony Thursday evening to award 20 individuals with the Presidential Citizens Medal.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) — who has become a vocal critic of President-elect Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol — is among those who will be honored. Other recipients include Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who chaired the House Jan. 6 panel of which Cheney was also a member, former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and former Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.).

The award ceremony comes as Biden has spoken with his team about potential pardons for Cheney and other Trump critics to protect them against potential politically motivated charges when the president-elect returns to the Oval Office later this month. Democrats have been divided on their support for such a move.

The ceremony at the White House was expected to begin at 5 p.m. EST.

Watch the video above.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

CNN
Trump suggests his plan for Gaza Strip is to ‘clean out the whole thing’
President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that he had spoken with the king of Jordan about potentially building housing and moving more than 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, a remarkable proposal from a sitting US president.
The Daily Beast
British Officials Left in Tears Over Trump’s ‘Hilarious’ Phone Calls
Staffers to former British Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson have shared insight into the laugh-out-loud phone calls the politicians had with President Donald Trump. Former 10 Downing Street officials told Politico that any intended agenda for the conversations would “quite quickly fall by the wayside” and the discussions “would always go off beam.” “Everyone was in there with tears (of) laughter because they were hilarious,” one staffer claimed.
Sky News
Migrants in shackles led on to US military plane - as Mexico refuses to accept deportation flight
US military aircraft have started flying detained migrants out of America on the orders of Donald Trump, as Mexico refused a request from his administration to allow a deportation plane to land in the country. It comes as the White House released images of men whose hands and ankles were shackled being led on to a plane. Mr Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted the photos on X and declared: "Deportation flights have begun."
The Independent
Trump tells Danish PM he’s serious about taking over Greenland in ‘fiery’ call that has Danes in ‘crisis mode’
President has wanted the U.S. to obtain Greenland since his first term
The Independent
Ontario premier threatens to ban US liquor in stores, shut off power to Americans on border
Doug Ford warns of stiff retaliation if Trump imposes tariffs
The Independent
Trump fires 17 government watchdogs in middle of the night - but a key one remains in his post
‘Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption,’ Elizabeth Warren says
The Hill
Another Jan. 6 rioter rejects Trump’s pardon: ‘I did those things’
Another Jan. 6 rioter has rejected President Trump’s pardon, saying that he “did those things” and his actions do not merit forgiveness. “It’s almost like he was trying to say it didn’t happen. And it happened. I did those things, and they weren’t pardonable. I don’t want the pardon. And I also learned that I…
The Daily Beast
Donald Trump Trolls ‘Fake News’ With Plans For Third—and Fourth—Term at Vegas Rally
Like so many high rollers before him, President Donald Trump appeared to be pushing his luck in Las Vegas on Saturday night, in a speech he made at a rally. According to Mediaite, the newly elected Trump teased the crowd by alluding to serving more than two terms as president: “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve. Not once, but twice—or three times or four times,” Trump said, before clarifying he has—at least for now—no real plans to extend his time in the Oval Office. “Headlines f
The Daily Beast
James Carville Says Better to Let Trump ‘Punch Himself Out’
Former strategist James Carville has urged the Democratic Party to be patient and bide its time following President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders in his first week back at the White House. Speaking with MSNBC’s The Beat on Friday, Carville told anchor Katie Phang that the Republican president’s opponents ought to let him “punch himself out” before weighing how best to deal with the fallout of his “America First” agenda. As Phang put it to Carville, “On a fascism scale of one to 10, w
The Daily Beast
Trump Met By Very Handsy Gavin Newsom on L.A. Runway
Mere hours after saying he would consider curtailing disaster aid to California and scrap the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Donald Trump on Friday touched down in California to meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom and tour damage from the Los Angeles wildfires. After Trump deplaned Air Force One, he engaged in another of his tug-of-war handshakes with Newsom, and the two talked for a moment on the tarmac out of microphone range. They then approached nearby reporters, and First Lady Melan
The Independent
Trump’s first foreign call was with ‘fantastic guy’ Prince Mohammed bin Salman about $600 billion deal
Trump hailed the crown prince American intelligence accused of ordering the assassination of a Washington Post journalist, and said he’s going to press Saudia Arabia to invest $1 trillion in the U.S.
The Hill
White House says migrant deportation flights with military aircraft have begun
The Trump administration has started flying immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally out of the country using military aircraft, a White House spokesperson said Friday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared photos on the social platform X of individuals in handcuffs boarding a military plane. “Deportation flights have begun,” Leavitt said. “President Trump is…
CNN
Taiwan’s divided politics undermine defense resolve as Trump returns
Hours after Donald Trump’s chilly inauguration in Washington, Taiwan’s parliament voted to freeze billions of dollars in defense spending, in a move some worry could frustrate the famously transactional president, who has already demanded Taipei pay “more” for US protection.
The Hill
Opinion - Blue Alert: Why Democrats are poised to win in 2028 and 2032
The Republican Party is at a critical crossroads, facing electoral hurdles in 2028 and potential losses in the House of Representatives, while Democrats are poised to win both the 2028 and 2032 elections due to historical and strategic realities.
The Daily Beast
Trump Yanks Security Detail for Fauci—Who’s Now Paying Himself
The Trump administration removed Dr. Anthony Fauci’s security detail on Thursday night, the latest former top official to lose protection. “You can’t have it forever,” Trump said on Friday. Fauci, who was the nation’s top infectious disease expert and worked alongside Donald Trump during the pandemic, has received several threats against his life. In May 2022, a man pleaded guilty to sending emails to Fauci and other government officials threatening to kill them and their families.
The Daily Beast
‘SNL’s Michael Che Has Proof Elon Musk Is Not a ‘Nazi’
Michael Che tackled perhaps the biggest controversy of the week on Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update”: the salute heard around the world by Elon Musk at a post-inauguration MAGA rally. “Elon Musk was criticized for his speech at a rally after the inauguration in which he appears to give the Nazi salute,” Che said. With a picture of a Tesla Cybertruck displayed beside him, Che joked, “But come on, Elon Musk is not a Nazi. The Nazis made nice cars.”
CNN
A Chicago elementary school turned away agents they feared were from ICE. They turned out to be from the Secret Service
Fearing federal agents asking to search a Chicago elementary school Friday morning were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, school officials denied them entry. But it turned out they were US Secret Service agents pursuing an investigation.
The Daily Beast
Mel Gibson Hails ’Daddy’ Trump Taking ‘His Belt Off’ in Cali Visit
Actor Mel Gibson lauded President Donald Trump as “daddy” taking “his belt off” during his visit to survey the deadly aftermath of California’s wildfires. Speaking with Sean Hannity on the Fox News anchor’s eponymous show on Friday night, the actor-director cheered Trump’s rebuke of the local response to the wildfires. “It’s like daddy arrived and he’s taking his belt off, you know?,” he said. In a viral moment at a press briefing with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Trump urged the mayor to use m
BuzzFeed
This GOP Lawmaker Explained Why He's Proposing A Constitutional Amendment To Allow Donald Trump To Seek A Third Term, And The Reactions Are Brutal
MAKE IT STOP.
CNN
Advocate groups ordered to stop aiding refugees who have already arrived in US
The Trump administration on Friday abruptly halted services for refugees in the United States, including Afghans, according to a memo obtained by CNN, stunning agencies that provide critical support to recent arrivals.

Latest stories