You might’ve seen the headlines or caught a snippet of a ceremony on the news recently. There’s a lot of chatter about the Liz Cheney Medal of Freedom and whether the former Wyoming congresswoman actually walked away with the nation’s highest civilian honor. If you’re confused, honestly, I don’t blame you. The world of Washington awards is a tangled web of similar-sounding names and high-stakes political theater.
Let’s set the record straight: Liz Cheney was actually awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden on January 2, 2025.
Wait, isn't that the same thing? Not quite. While the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the "big one" everyone knows, the Citizens Medal is the second-highest civilian honor in the United States. It’s a distinction that carries massive weight, especially given the timing—just weeks before Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
Why the Confusion?
People get these two mixed up constantly. It’s like confusing the Oscars with the Golden Globes, only with way more constitutional implications. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is often handed out to celebrities, athletes, and world leaders (think Denzel Washington or Magic Johnson, who were in the 2025 cohort).
The Presidential Citizens Medal, which Cheney received, is specifically for "exemplary deeds of service." It’s a bit more "boots on the ground" in its spirit.
Biden handed this out to 20 people in the East Room of the White House. When Cheney’s name was called, the room basically erupted. It wasn’t just a polite golf clap; it was a full-blown standing ovation that lasted for quite a while. The official citation said she was being honored for "putting the American people over party." ## The January 6 Connection
You can’t talk about Cheney’s award without talking about the Jan 6 Committee. She served as the vice chair, alongside Chairman Bennie Thompson (who also received the medal).
Think about it. A Cheney—a name synonymous with deep-red Republicanism—teamed up with a Democrat from Mississippi to investigate a sitting president of her own party. That’s the "service" Biden was highlighting.
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- She lost her seat in Congress because of it.
- She faced (and still faces) intense heat from her own party.
- She effectively became a political exile for the sake of the investigation.
Whether you agree with her politics or not, that’s a wild career trajectory. One day you’re the third-ranking Republican in the House, the next you’re being cheered by Democrats in the White House while your own party’s leadership calls for you to be "investigated."
A Room Full of Pioneers
Cheney wasn't the only one there, though she definitely stole the spotlight. The event was a bit of a "who's who" of people who have ruffled feathers or broken barriers.
- Bennie Thompson: The man who sat next to Cheney through all those televised hearings.
- Mary Bonauto & Evan Wolfson: The legal minds who were instrumental in the fight for marriage equality.
- Bill Bradley: The former Senator and NBA legend.
- Nancy Kassebaum: The first woman ever elected to a full Senate term in her own right (representing Kansas).
It was a heavy-hitting crowd. Biden was clearly trying to cement a legacy of "bipartisan institutionalism" before he left office.
What Most People Get Wrong
There is a persistent rumor that she received the Medal of Freedom alongside Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi. She didn't.
Pelosi got the Medal of Freedom in May 2024. Hillary Clinton got hers in January 2025, just a couple of days after Cheney’s ceremony. Because these events happened so close together, the internet has basically merged them into one giant "liberal award show."
But the distinction matters. The Citizens Medal specifically rewards the act of citizenship. For Cheney, that act was her role in the January 6 investigation and her refusal to back down from her stance on the 2020 election results.
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The Backlash Was Instant
If you think everyone was happy about this, you haven’t been on the internet lately.
Donald Trump didn’t hold back. He called Cheney and Thompson "political thugs" and suggested they should be the ones in jail, not getting medals. On platforms like Reddit, the debate was just as fierce. Some people on the left felt it was "the bare minimum" to uphold the law and didn't think it warranted a medal. Meanwhile, many on the right viewed it as a final "thumb in the eye" from the outgoing Biden administration.
Basically, if you wanted to find a single event that perfectly captures how divided the U.S. is right now, this ceremony was it.
Why It Still Matters
So, does a piece of metal around someone's neck actually change anything?
In the short term, maybe not. But historically, these awards are how a presidency defines what "good" looks like. By giving Liz Cheney this specific medal, Biden was making a permanent record of his belief that her actions—sacrificing her career to investigate her own party—represent the peak of American citizenship.
It’s a marker in the sand.
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If you want to understand the full context of this award, it's worth looking at the Profile in Courage Award she received from the JFK Library back in 2022. That was the first major sign that the "Old Guard" of the political establishment was going to rally around her. The Citizens Medal was just the final, highest-possible stamp of approval from the executive branch.
What You Should Do Now
If you’re trying to keep the facts straight in this era of "alternative facts," here is how to navigate the noise:
- Check the Ribbon: The Presidential Medal of Freedom has a distinct blue ribbon with white stars. The Citizens Medal has a different design. If you see a photo, look at the lanyard.
- Ignore the "Traitor" vs "Hero" Labels: Those are opinions. The fact is that she was legally awarded the medal for her work on a specific Congressional committee.
- Look at the Citation: Don't just read the headline. Read the White House's actual reasoning for the award. It gives you the "why" behind the "what."
Understanding the Liz Cheney Medal of Freedom (or rather, her Presidential Citizens Medal) isn't just about trivia. It’s about understanding how the narrative of American history is being written in real-time. Whether she’s a villain or a hero in your book, she’s now officially one of the most "decorated" civilians in recent history.
And that’s something that won't be erased from the record books anytime soon.
Next Steps for Your Research:
- Compare the list of 2025 Citizens Medal recipients with the 2025 Medal of Freedom recipients to see the different "themes" Biden was aiming for.
- Review the final report of the January 6 Select Committee to see the specific findings that led to this recognition.
- Watch the footage of the ceremony to see the interaction between Cheney and Bennie Thompson; it’s a rare look at genuine bipartisan warmth in a very cold political climate.