Joe Biden drew strong criticism after leaving the US military medal ceremony

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Joe Biden is under fire after he was seen leaving a military medal ceremony before the event ended.

On Tuesday, the 80-year-old US president awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House to Captain Larry Taylor, 81, a US Army pilot who risked his life to save American troops during the Vietnam War.

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But before the ceremony ended, Biden was seen leaving while Taylor received a round of applause and before the closing prayer.

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And that drew the ire of people on social media.

“Recipient is left with egg on his face,” wrote one user on social media site X.

Others called it sad, pathetic, a disgrace and disrespectful.

“So outrageous,” wrote another. “Why does he always get a free pass?”

One user was a little more forgiving, guessing that Biden “didn’t know what to do next, so he just took off.”

On the night of June 18, 1968, then-1st Lt. Taylor uses his Cobra gunship to save four members of a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.

The Army says what Taylor did that night was never attempted.

– with files from Associated Press.