(PatrioticPost.com)- Denzel Washington, a legendary actor, selected by the president to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, did not attend President Joe Biden’s Medal of Freedom ceremony on Thursday, even though he was invited to attend.
“He couldn’t be with us today,” stated Biden, alleging that the actor who won an Academy Award wanted to be there.
According to a White House official who spoke with CNN, Washington tested positive for the coronavirus.
Washington, who has starred in a wide variety of commercially successful action and drama films, is the current ambassador for The Boys & Girls Club and has won two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes.
In a commencement speech at Dillard University in 2015, Washington told the students to “put God first in everything you do.”
“Number one put God first in everything you do. Everything that you think you see in me and everything you think I’ve accomplished and everything you think I have, everything I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It’s a gift.”
During the event, Vice President Joe Biden said he would present the medal to the recipient later when he “is able to get here.”
In addition, the president presented a Medal of Freedom to Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and numerous other political friends.
Biden bestowed a medal upon Sister Simone Campbell, a well-known activist who was instrumental in helping Biden promote Obamacare; Khizr Khan, who was instrumental in leading the charge against President Donald Trump during the 2016 election; and Richard Trumka, a former union boss who was a supporter of Biden. Richard Trumka received his medal posthumously.
Megan Rapinoe, a prominent opponent of Donald Trump, supported Joe Biden’s candidacy for the presidency in 2020.
In addition, the president chose to honor two of his former colleagues and friends from his time in the Senate, namely Senator Al Simpson and Senator John McCain(posthumously.)
He also gave a medal of freedom to Steve Jobs, the creator of Apple, after his death. Jobs’ wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, a notable Democrat contributor and philanthropist, accepted the honor on Jobs’ behalf.