‘Pod Save America’ Hosts Call Out Biden for Not Giving Obama a Presidential Medal

The hosts of Pod Save America couldn’t stop cackling while covering President Joe Biden’s medal ceremony in a Tuesday episode, seeming utterly dumbfounded at how Liz Cheney received recognition over Barack Obama.

During the ceremony held on Saturday, Biden awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 19 people including Hillary Clinton and Bill Nye. Cheney however, did not receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom but a recognition right below it, the Presidential Citizens Medal, which the podcast hosts seemed particularly tickled by.

“Liz Cheney didn’t get the Medal of Freedom, she got the one just below it, which by the way, pissed off some resistance folks on Twitter,” co-host Jon Favreau said during the episode before adding, “I bet Liz Cheney could use a pardon more than the f---ing medal!”

This prompted co-host Jon Lovett to ask: “Why is there a silver in this? What are we doing?”

The trio then moved on to all the medals Obama bestowed during his presidency, with Favreau noting: “Obama gave one to Biden, and Biden did not return the favor.”

“That’s interesting,” Lovett replied before adding while laughing, “I guess they’re not really on speaking terms, I suppose, after all that’s happened!”

Their attention then turned to billionaire donor and Biden ally David Rubenstein being included on the list of Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees, with Favreau noting how choices like that discredit the award’s reverence.

“If you want to make it special and a revered honor, you kinda got to have some kind of independent body that is just like, hey president, here’s where we go,” Favreau said. “David Rubenstein got one who is like his house?”

“He loaned Biden his Nantucket house,” co-host Tommy Vietor replied, referring to how the president often spends time at Rubenstein’s lavish estate. “Come on,” Favreau retorted.

The podcast hosts proceeded to poke fun at just how random some of the medal’s recipients have been, questioning why it’s even bestowed to begin with.

“It’s just a cool thing you can get,” Lovett pondered. “I do think it is fun that you can do them posthumously which sort of means you can go all the way back. Right? Like why not,” he said before nominating Joan of Arc and Jesus for consideration, much to the laughs of his fellow co-hosts.