Biden is awarding the Presidential Citizens Medal to former Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson, who led the congressional investigation into the Jan 6th Capitol riot—a role that President Trump has argued should land them in jail.
The ceremony, set for Thursday at the White House, will honor 20 individuals, including advocates for marriage equality, a pioneer in battlefield medicine, and two of Biden’s longtime allies, former Sens. Ted Kaufman of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut.
This marks the second consecutive year Biden has recognized individuals linked to January 6, 2021.
Cheney, a former Wyoming congresswoman, and Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, chaired the House committee that investigated the riot. Their final report accused Trump of orchestrating a “multi-part conspiracy” to subvert the election “results” and failing to act as his supporters stormed the Capitol. Thompson described Trump as having “lit that fire.”
Cheney, who later campaigned with Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race and pledged her vote to Harris, has remained a vocal critic of Trump. Her actions have reportedly made her a potential candidate for a preemptive pardon from Biden, as Trump has indicated plans to target those involved in the investigation.
President Trump, who won the 2024 election and is set to take office on January 20, continues to claim the 2020 election was stolen and has vowed to pardon January 6 rioters immediately upon his return to the White House.
