It’s likely hard for most American gun owners to understand why President Joe Biden (D) recently bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon American-hating, gun-banner George Soros.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. Executive Order 11085 by President John F. Kennedy (D) says the medal is meant to recognize people who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
Many Americans were disappointed that Biden would honor Soros in this manner. In an interview with Fox News, the Heritage Foundation’s Zach Smith referred to Biden’s choice of Soros to receive the medal as a “slap in the face.”
“President Biden’s decision to award George Soros the Medal of Freedom is a slap in the face to the citizens and crime victims suffering under the policies and politicians he has promoted,” Smith told Fox. “Soros has been a major donor to far-left politicians and has promoted policies that undermine the rule of law in our country. Given Biden’s embrace of these policies and the funding Soros has provided, this looks like nothing more than an effort to reward and keep happy one of the Left’s major donors (and his family). It cheapens what should be a prestigious award and gives everyday Americans yet another reason to be disgusted by the current administration’s actions.”
Soros has contributed over $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, which he founded, and various left-wing causes since 1984, making him one of the largest political donors in U.S. history. When announcing the honor, a statement from the White House claimed that Soros’ philanthropy has “strengthened democracy, human rights, education and social justice.”
Of course, Soros was “moved” to be honored in such a way, according to an Open Society Foundations press release.
“As an immigrant who found freedom and prosperity in America, I am deeply moved by this honor,” he said. “I accept it on behalf of the many people around the world with whom the Open Society Foundations have made common cause over the past 40 years.”
A brief examination of Soros’ advocacy for two significant political movements—gun control and soft-on-crime crime policies—shows how undeserving he is of this honor. First, let’s consider his tendency to promote and financially support infringements on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.
The Open Society Foundations (OSF) consist of 20 smaller foundations, has branches in 37 countries and operates in more than 120 countries. One of these, OSF’s Center on Crime, Communities & Culture, released the publication “Gun Control in the United States.” It is one of the most radical anti-gun documents ever.
The main finding of its “researchers” was that different states had varying gun laws, with most states achieving gun law scores that fall “below minimum standards for public safety.” According to the publication, the solution to the “problem” is to standardize state gun laws by compelling states that recognize and respect the Second Amendment to conform to the stricter regulations of anti-gun states like California and New York.
This is only the beginning of Soros’ anti-gun advocacy. According to the International Business Times, in 1998, he funded an unsuccessful lawsuit against gun manufacturers through his foundation, claiming that “negligent” marketing contributed to illegal weapons trafficking. Additionally, his 2004 book, The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power, was highly critical of then-President George W. Bush’s (R) pro-gun policy positions.
The magazine further reported: “Over the years, Soros has given millions to organizations that have called for new restrictions on guns, including $50,000 to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence; $7.3 million to the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank that has published many reports arguing for gun control; and $2 million to a super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton’s first White House bid, during which she called for total gun bans.”
His resulting zeal for gun control, along with his propensity to spend big on campaigns, has helped put many gun-control proponents in office from the state level all the way up to Congress and the White House. It’s quite likely that many restrictive gun laws at both the state and federal levels were passed with the help of those he enabled.
Aside from his anti-gun activism, Soros’ other big “contribution” to American society has been helping to usher in soft-on-crime policies in many big cities, which have resulted in more dangerous conditions for law-abiding citizens. In 2016, Soros pumped more than $3 million into seven local district attorney campaigns in six states to jumpstart the effort. By 2023, there were 25 Soros-linked district attorneys in big cities from coast to coast, all wreaking havoc with a revolving-door justice philosophy.
However, the tide has recently started to turn. According to the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF), 12 of the 25 Soros-linked district attorneys the organization was tracking were defeated in the most recent general election. Equally important, some of those who lost were in districts that voted heavily in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris (D) in the presidential election.
Ultimately, Biden’s decision to grant the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Soros undermines the significance of this honor for all who have received it in the past and for those who will in the future. Still, it’s not surprising, given that Soros has supported nearly every progressive cause over the last generation, including Biden’s various election campaigns.
