Business conglomerate Elon Musk has criticised the US President Joe Biden for honouring billionaire and known philanthropist George Soros with the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with 18 other candidates. Musk has been a vocal critic of Soros in the past and he expressed his displeasure in a post on the social media platform X, which he owns.

"A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom," Musk stated on X. Earlier on Saturday, Biden announced the list of recipients of the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award is given to the individuals with contributions in the fields of politics, philanthropy, sports, and the arts.

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A controversy sparked as soon as the president announced the name of George Soros as the recipient. Soros is a renowned investor and the founder of the Open Society Foundation, and he was given the award for his "focus on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice," statement from the White House stated.

Apart from Soros, several other known personalities got the award, including Hillary Clinton, football star Lionel Messi, and actors Michael J Fox and Denzel Washington. In a response to the critics, Biden stated that the awards were given to the individuals who had contributed to the growth of the US and the world. "These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world. They defend the values of America, even when under attack," Biden stated.

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Several of the Republican Party leaders criticised the step by the government, stating that Soros was given the award for political benefit. Soros was in discussion in India during the winter session of parliament too when the ruling party BJP accused opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of seeking help from Soros for political benefits. However, the Congress party stated that the name of Soros was dragged into Indian politics to distract the people from real issues.