President Joe Biden paid tribute to the late Senator John McCain during a Medal of Freedom ceremony Thursday, joking that the Arizona Republican still “owes” him for introducing McCain to his wife, Cindy.
The President bestowed the highest civilian honor on 17 Americans in the East Room of the White House.
The ceremony provided a much-needed respite for the White House as it deals with a slew of recent reports pointing to growing discord within the administration amid back-to-back national crises.
Cindy McCain accepted the award on behalf of her late husband, who was friends with Biden when the two men served in the Senate together.
Honorees also include popular trailblazers like athletes Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe, and actor Denzel Washington. Washington had to miss the event.
Other individuals who have set new standards in their fields were also honored, such as Apple founder Steve Jobs and Wyoming’s former Republican Senator Alan Simpson. Simpson had campaigned for marriage equality and campaign finance reform during his nearly two decades in the Senate.
Gabby Giffords, the former House Democrat who survived being shot in the face at point-blank range in Tuscon, was also honored.
Much like Simpson, McCain was known for reaching across the aisle and not being afraid to break party lines when his beliefs split from those of the GOP.
During the portion of his speech about the late lawmaker and military veteran, Biden paid tribute to him and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who introduced him to his wife in Hawaii about five decades ago.
“He still owes me,” said the President. “The best thing we’ve ever done for John. The very best.’
President Joe Biden speaks during a ceremony to award the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 7
Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff were also present at the ceremony, which the White House no doubt sees as a much-needed public relations respite
Biden bestowed the honor on Thursday on 17 recipients, including 25-year-old retired gymnast Simone Biles
Biles, who has since become a vocal advocate for victims of sexual assault, is the youngest recipient of the Medal of Freedom
Along with his wife, Melissa Cohen, the President’s son, Hunter Biden, was also pictured at the event
Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi will be married in a White House ceremony next November
But the president’s tribute got emotional at times, for example when he revealed the two things his friends and colleagues never talked about: McCain’s time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and the devastating car accident that killed Biden’s first wife and young daughter came.
“They were clearly different. But somehow we seem to understand each other somehow,” said the president.
Biden said Monday’s Independence Day was a reminder that Americans continue to fight for the “cause of liberty” today.
“The week of July 4th reminds us of what brought us together long ago and still binds us, binds us at our best — we, the people, are doing what we can to uphold the idea of America, a matter of Freedom that shines like the sun illuminates the future of the world,” said the President.
“This is the soul of our nation. That’s us as Americans. And that’s what we’re seeing — an extraordinary, extraordinary group of Americans up here at this stage.”
The President’s son, Hunter Biden, was spotted alongside his wife Melissa Cohen in the front row of guests in the East Room on Thursday.
Later this year, his daughter Naomi will wed in a White House ceremony in November.
Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican, was also present at the event, photographed at one point deep in conversation with McCain and at another point when she was with House Representative Debbie Wasserman -Shultz, spoke.
Biden had an emotional moment with Cindy McCain when she accepted the posthumous Medal of Freedom on behalf of Senator John McCain
The Arizona Republican’s widow once wiped away tears when her husband was recognized
Biden commended US women’s soccer captain Megan Rapinoe for her efforts to reward female athletes the same as their male counterparts
Steve Jobs’ widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, accepted the award on behalf of her late husband
Former House Democrat Gabby Giffords was also honored. She has become a staunch gun control advocate since being forced to resign from Congress after being shot at point-blank range
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming was spotted deep in conversation with House Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida
Biles, who was the first of the 17 named Biden, is the most decorated American gymnast in history. After retiring from her record-breaking career, she became an advocate for victims of sexual assault.
Biden commended Biles’ “absolute courage” and her ability to “transform personal pain into a greater purpose, to stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
“When we see them compete, we see unmatched strength and determination,” the president said.
Rapinoe, captain of the United States women’s national soccer team, has been praised for leading the fight for equal pay for male players.
“Beyond world titles to Olympic medals, Megan is a champion of an essential American truth: that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect,” Biden said.
He also called Rapinoe a “good kid.”
Meanwhile, her wife, WNBA star Sue Bird, watched from the audience.
The President also honored pioneers of progressive ideals in Diane Nash and the late Richard Trumka.
Nash, now 84, was a student leader in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. She helped desegregate interstate travel and ended whites-only lunch counters by using nonviolent protests. She also worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr together.
Trumka was a union leader who was president of the United Mine Workers for more than a decade. He died last year.
From 2009 until his death, Trumka headed the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO, the country’s largest union federation.