It was a cold Thursday in early January 2025, just weeks before the political guard changed in Washington. The East Room of the White House was packed. You could feel the tension. President Joe Biden stood at the lectern, ready to hand out the Presidential Citizens Medal to a group of twenty people who, in his view, had saved the soul of the country.
Among them was Liz Cheney.
The former Wyoming Congresswoman, once a powerhouse in Republican leadership, walked onto the stage to a standing ovation that seemed to last forever. It wasn't just a polite clap. It was a roar. For her supporters, the Liz Cheney Jan. 6 committee medals represent the ultimate validation of political sacrifice. For her detractors, the ceremony was a partisan "joke."
Honestly, the whole thing was surreal. Here was a woman who was the third-ranking Republican in the House just a few years ago, now being championed by a Democratic president. She lost her seat. She lost her standing in the GOP. But on that day, she walked away with the second-highest civilian honor in the United States.
The Medal That Sparked a Firestorm
The main event was the Presidential Citizens Medal. Now, people often get this confused with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They aren't the same. The Citizens Medal was actually started by Richard Nixon back in 1969. It’s specifically for people who have performed "exemplary deeds of service."
Biden didn't just give one to Cheney. He also gave one to Bennie Thompson, the Democratic Representative from Mississippi who chaired the committee. The White House statement was pretty clear about why. They praised Cheney for "putting the American people over party" and for her "intrepidness" during the investigation into the Capitol riot.
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It’s worth noting that this wasn't the first time Cheney had been recognized for her role on the committee. Back in 2022, she received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. That one was a big deal too. She shared it with people like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Why does this keep coming up?
Basically, because the politics of Jan. 6 never went away. While the committee itself disbanded in early 2023 when Republicans took over the House, the legacy of its work—and the medals awarded to its leaders—remains a massive flashpoint.
- The Pro-Medal View: Supporters say Cheney gave up everything—her career, her safety, her reputation—to ensure the facts of Jan. 6 were documented. To them, the medal is a "thank you" for defending the Constitution.
- The Anti-Medal View: Critics, including Donald Trump and current House Speaker Mike Johnson, have called the awards an "utter embarrassment." They argue the committee was a partisan "witch hunt" and that the medals were just political theater.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Committee Medals
There is a weird misconception that the entire committee got medals. They didn't. While the 117th Congress did pass legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals to the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol, the specific civilian medals for "service on the committee" were much more selective.
Cheney and Thompson were the ones singled out by the executive branch.
You've probably heard the rumors about "secret" awards or hidden ceremonies. That’s mostly internet noise. The January 2025 ceremony was as public as it gets. Biden was making a statement. He was crowning the work of the committee just as its lead investigators were facing threats of prosecution from the incoming administration.
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In an interview with NBC’s "Meet the Press," the President-elect at the time said Cheney and Thompson should "honestly go to jail." It’s a wild contrast. One side gives you a medal; the other side wants to lock you up. That’s where we are right now.
A Legacy of "Courage" or "Betrayal"?
To understand the Liz Cheney Jan. 6 committee medals, you have to look at what she actually did on that panel. She wasn't just a member; she was the Vice Chair. She was the one who often led the questioning of high-profile Republican witnesses.
She focused heavily on the "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn the 2020 election.
Some people find it ironic. Cheney is the daughter of Dick Cheney. She’s a conservative's conservative on almost every policy issue. But on this one thing—the peaceful transfer of power—she broke from her party completely.
Key Awards Linked to Her Service:
- Presidential Citizens Medal (2025): For her leadership on the House Select Committee.
- JFK Profile in Courage Award (2022): For her consistent stand against the "Big Lie."
- Commanding Presence at the Hearings: While not a physical medal, her performance during the televised hearings earned her a type of "hero status" among liberals and "Never Trump" conservatives that few Republicans have ever achieved.
The Actionable Truth for the Rest of Us
So, what do we do with this? Whether you think Liz Cheney is a hero or a "traitor," there are a few objective takeaways from the whole "medals" saga that matter for how we understand our government today.
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First off, check your sources on "medals." If you see a post saying the Jan. 6 committee gave itself medals, that’s false. These honors came from the White House and the Kennedy Library—external organizations, even if they are politically aligned.
Secondly, pay attention to the Presidential Citizens Medal in the future. It’s often used as a final "stamp of approval" by outgoing presidents. Seeing who gets it tells you exactly what an administration wants its legacy to be.
Lastly, understand the stakes. Cheney’s medals weren't just for showing up to work. They were awarded because she became the face of a specific constitutional argument. If you're following the news, look past the gold and the ribbons. The real story is the 850-page report the committee produced and the legal battles that are still playing out because of it.
If you want to understand the actual impact of the committee, go read the executive summary of their final report. It’s long, but it’s the only way to see what the medals were actually "paying" for. No matter where you stand, the documentation of those events is now a permanent part of American history, and those medals are the physical markers of that era.
To stay truly informed, compare the official White House citations for these awards with the counter-reports released by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight. Seeing the two narratives side-by-side is the best way to grasp why these pieces of metal cause so much drama.
Follow the legal filings regarding the "destruction of evidence" allegations. While the White House cited Cheney for "truth," her opponents cite the committee for "concealment." The truth usually lives somewhere in the middle of the paperwork. Keep your eyes on the court records, not just the award ceremonies. That's where the real history is written.