Bono responds to backlash over accepting Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden
Bono has defended his decision to accept the US Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden earlier this year.
The U2 frontman received the award in January alongside 18 others, including former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and footballer Lionel Messi.
The announcement was met with backlash from some activists and commentators, who questioned Bono's acceptance of the honour given the Biden administration's military support for Israel.
In an interview this weekend with Brendan O'Connor on RTÉ Radio One, Bono addressed the controversy, saying, 'Being a conscientious objector with somebody else's conscience is quite a stretch.'
He explained that his relationship with President Biden spans more than two decades, during which they worked closely on several global humanitarian issues. These include the Drop the Debt campaign of the 1990s, efforts to increase aid to developing nations, and expanding universal access to antiretroviral HIV medications. Bono has defended his decision to accept the US Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden earlier this year. Pic:'This is a man who I have deep respect for and a real relationship with,' Bono said.
He also responded to specific criticisms about US military aid to Israel, noting that many critics may not realise the aid package Biden signed in April 2024 was a bundled bill – one that included funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The largest portion of the $95 billion package was allocated to Ukraine, but Biden reiterated his strong support for Israel when announcing it.
'In fact, there was an attempt to decouple them, but Biden knew he wouldn't get it through Congress,' Bono explained. 'These are complex affairs.'
While acknowledging the suffering in Gaza, Bono pushed back against the idea that accepting the award implied support for US policy in the region. While acknowledging the suffering in Gaza, Bono pushed back against the idea that accepting the award implied support for US policy in the region. Pic:'Anyone who thinks I'm not shocked and appalled by what's going on in Gaza, and the children of Gaza…' he began, before criticising what he called 'competitive empathy' – the idea that one person's moral outrage must outweigh another's.
'It's such a strange thing, this competitive empathy that's going around: 'I feel this wound more than you, and my emergency is more important than your emergency.'
Bono ended by saying he accepted the award not for himself, but as a gesture to activists and aid workers, including those suffering or risking their lives in conflict zones like Gaza.
'I kind of get the realpolitik of the situation that Joe Biden found himself in.'
'I took that medal on behalf of all those people who don't get medals – the activists, the people getting killed now in Gaza.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
15 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Haim switch dial from 1970s to '90s (and back) for their most eclectic collection yet
Besides the collective, each of the sisters has carved out their own particular niche: Lead singer and guitarist Danielle Haim is very much a go-to guest vocalist, most recently on Bon Iver's Sable Fable album; multi-instrumentalist Alana Haim has shown serious acting chops and took the lead in Paul Thomas Anderson's '70s-set feature Licorice Pizza; bassist Este Haim was the music consultant on TV drama series, The White Lotus. Haim are leading lights of LA culture now, almost as celebrated for their fashion sense as they are for their music. Their fourth album, I Quit, arrives freighted with considerable expectation, but can it live up to the highs of earlier work? Down to Be Wrong is vintage Haim. A sultry, evocative song that will remind many of Sheryl Crow It certainly sounds subtly different to their previous albums. While '70s influences continue to abound, the 1990s plays a significant part too. That's apparent on opening track, Gone, which liberally uses George Michael's Freedom 90. And it's there again, on closer, Now It's Time, which takes the abrasive beats of U2's Numb and does something intriguing with it. If I Quit doesn't have quite the proportion of strong songs as debut album Days Are Gone, or indeed a single to match that of the peerless The Wire, it's comfortably their most eclectic collection. While some may lament the lack of focus, others will delight in the way the songs hopscotch from genre to genre with abandon. There's plenty of classic West Coast pop, fey balladry, excursions into indie rock, dalliances in funk and some soulful leanings, too. And it's a reminder of what an affecting vocalist Danielle is. She sounds effortless and yet you hang on to her every word. Down to Be Wrong is vintage Haim. A sultry, evocative song, its chorus soars. Not for the first time, it's a Haim song that will remind many of Sheryl Crow. One could imagine it taking pride of place on her 1993 gazillion-seller Tuesday Night Music Club. It is one of several songs that explore relationship break-ups. Danielle may well be writing about personal experience. Her nine-year relationship with Ariel Rechtshaid ended in 2022: he produced each of the previous Haim albums, but beyond a writing credit on standout song, the playful, seductive Relationships, he's nowhere to be seen here. Instead, Vampire Weekend founder Rostam Batmanglij, who had a part in the production of their two most recent albums, steps up to the plate here. The siblings are in good hands with Rostam — as he is now mononymously known — at the tiller. Guest vocalists are eschewed, and it would have been intriguing if Bon Iver's Justin Vernon had lent his voice to the giddy, commercially smart Everybody is Trying to Figure Me Out. After all, he is credited as one of the song's writers and composers.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Donald Trump calls for special prosecutor to investigate 2020 election
President Donald Trump has called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden, repeating his baseless claim that the contest was marred by widespread fraud. 'Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD!' Mr Trump said in a social media post in which he also sought to favourably contrast his immigration enforcement approach with that of the former president. 'The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed. This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin!' Donald Trump has also instructed his administration to investigate Joe Biden's actions as president, alleging aides masked his 'cognitive decline' (David J Phillip/AP) Mr Trump's post, made as his Republican White House is consumed by a hugely substantial foreign policy decision on whether to get directly involved in the Israel-Iran war, is part of an amped-up effort by him to undermine the legitimacy of Mr Biden's presidency. Earlier this month, Mr Trump directed his administration to investigate Mr Biden's actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor's 'cognitive decline'. Mr Biden has dismissed the investigation as 'a mere distraction'. The post also revives a long-running grievance by Mr Trump that the election was stolen even though courts around the country and a Trump attorney general from his first term found no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome. The Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity arm pronounced the election 'the most secure in American history'. President Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP) It was unclear what Mr Trump had in mind when he called for a special prosecutor, but in the event Attorney General Pam Bondi heeds his call, she may face pressure to appoint someone who has already been confirmed by the Senate. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on Friday. The Justice Department has appointed a succession of special counsels in recent years — sometimes, though not always, plucked from outside the agency — to lead investigations into politically sensitive matters, including into conduct by Mr Biden and by Mr Trump. Last year, Mr Trump's personal lawyers launched an aggressive, and successful, challenge to the appointment of Jack Smith, the special counsel assigned to investigate his efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election and his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. A Trump-appointed judge agreed, ruling that then-Attorney General Merrick Garland had exceeded his bounds by appointing a prosecutor without Senate approval and confirmation, and dismissed the case. That legal team included Todd Blanche, who is now deputy attorney general, as well as Emil Bove, who is Mr Blanche's top deputy but was recently nominated to serve as a judge on a federal appeals court.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Slane Castle open for public tributes to Lord Henry Mount Charles
The family of Lord Henry Mount Charles will open the gates of Slane Castle this weekend, inviting members of the public to pay their respects and sign a Book of Condolence in honour of the late music promoter and custodian of one of Ireland's most iconic venues. Lord Henry, who died on Tuesday aged 74 after a long illness, was widely credited with transforming Slane Castle into a globally recognised live music destination. His son, Alex, the Marquess Conyngham, said in a statement that the family had been "profoundly moved" by the public response to his passing. "We have been truly touched by the strength of public sentiment and are deeply grateful for the countless expressions of sympathy and shared memories," he said. "Dad's warmth, spirit and dedication to Slane, its people and its legacy forged friendships that extended incredibly far and wide." The Book of Condolence will be available to sign on the grounds of Slane Castle this Saturday and Sunday, 21 and 22 June, between 10am and 6pm. "This will be an opportunity for all those who knew Henry, enjoyed the magic of Slane, or simply wish to express their sympathies to come together in his memory at the place he loved so deeply," the family said in a statement. They also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and requested privacy as they grieve. Tributes have continued to pour in for Lord Henry, who was instrumental in bringing some of the world's biggest acts to Ireland over the past four decades. Artists including U2, Queen, Madonna and The Rolling Stones have all played Slane Castle under his stewardship. Concert promoter Denis Desmond of MCD described him as a true "rock 'n' roll icon" and a "visionary with an enormous sense of fun and a tremendous work ethic". "Henry had an enormous impact on the acts who played at Slane," Desmond said. "World-class performers would talk about him long after the final note sounded. He wanted everyone to have a great time, stay safe, and come again." Desmond recalled Lord Henry's hands-on approach, often working through the night and staying closely connected to the live music industry even during his later years in hospital. "His laugh was infectious," he added. "He had a sense of humour that often shone brightest in darker moments. Truly, we will not see his likes again."
