President Joe Biden, ever the champion of left-wing priorities, handed out the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Wednesday to none other than Cecile Richards, the former head of Planned Parenthood. Touting her work to “advance women’s reproductive rights,” Biden made sure the ceremony doubled as a political statement on abortion—a favorite Democrat talking point. Richards, of course, helmed the organization that has made terminating pregnancies its bread and butter for years, making her a predictable choice for the Biden administration’s version of heroism.
Richards joined a lineup of fellow honorees that reads like a who’s who of progressive icons. The class of 2024 Medal recipients includes climate crusader John Kerry, former Vice President Al Gore, and Democrat heavyweights like Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn. Biden couldn’t contain his enthusiasm, declaring on X that it was his “honor” to award Richards. He praised her as a leader with “absolute courage” and claimed her work reflected the best of America’s values. The irony, of course, was lost on no one. Biden, fresh off watching the Supreme Court hand abortion legislation back to the states in the Dobbs decision, seemed eager to cement his legacy as a stalwart defender of the abortion industry.
Richards wasted no time gushing over the recognition, using the moment to amplify her pro-abortion message. On X, she thanked Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for their staunch support of abortion rights, calling the honor a symbol of the “work ahead.” Of course, Planned Parenthood’s work hardly needs further clarification. Their most recent report boasted over 392,000 abortions in 2022—a 5% increase from the previous year. Abortion services made up a staggering 97% of the organization’s pregnancy-related services, a statistic critics argue underscores where its real priorities lie.
The timing of the award also raises eyebrows, given the Democrat Party’s recent abortion-centric campaigning. Vice President Kamala Harris, who leaned heavily on abortion rights during her failed presidential bid, had long been championed by Richards and Planned Parenthood. Harris even secured the organization’s endorsement ahead of her Election Day flop. Richards, not missing a beat, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention earlier this year, where Harris was formally named the nominee. For the Democrats, abortion is more than policy; it’s a rallying cry for their base.
Conservatives might be forgiven for rolling their eyes at the spectacle. Biden’s insistence on framing Richards as a paragon of freedom and equality seems rich, considering Planned Parenthood’s business model revolves around terminating life, not protecting it. The ceremony felt less like an acknowledgment of genuine achievement and more like a last-ditch effort to reinforce the Democrat Party’s commitment to abortion politics, even as it faces growing opposition nationwide. In Biden’s America, it seems, advancing “freedom” has become synonymous with celebrating the destruction of the unborn.
