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Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s “bromance” is widely celebrated, but their relationship is complex.
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Tensions simmered when Obama favored Hillary Clinton over Biden in the 2016 election.
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Obama reportedly expressed doubts about Biden’s ability to win in 2024 after his disastrous debate.
Former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden’s close friendship became a widely celebrated “bromance” during the Obama White House years.
While the two share a close bond, their political relationship has also included disagreements and periods of tension, especially amid Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Here’s a look inside Obama and Biden’s close yet complex friendship.
Joe Biden and Barack Obama briefly ran against each other in the 2008 Democratic primaries
During his campaign, Biden garnered criticism for describing Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy” in a 2007 interview with the New York Observer.
Obama told CNN that Biden called him to apologize and issued a statement: “I didn’t take Sen. Biden’s comments personally, but obviously they were historically inaccurate. African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun, and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate.”
In his presidential memoir, “A Promised Land,” Obama wrote that Biden’s description was “surely meant as a compliment.”
In January 2008, Obama won the Iowa caucus, and Biden dropped out of the race after placing fifth.
Obama chose Biden as his running mate, citing his foreign-policy experience and ability to work a room
Obama wrote in “A Promised Land” that he narrowed his choice of running mate down to Biden and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.
Despite Biden’s occasional gaffes, Obama wrote that he found the contrast between himself and Biden, a career politician 19 years his senior, “compelling.”
“What mattered most, though, was what my gut told me — that Joe was decent, honest, and loyal,” Obama wrote. “I believed that he cared about ordinary people, and that when things got tough, I could trust him. I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
Obama and Biden’s close bond in the White House became widely regarded as a ‘bromance’
During their time in the White House, Obama and Biden met for weekly lunches. Photos showing their close friendship in the White House sparked memes celebrating their rapport.
Obama poked fun at their friendship at the 2014 White House Correspondents Dinner, saying “We’ve gotten so close, there’s places in Indiana that won’t serve us pizza anymore,” a reference to the controversy surrounding an Indiana pizza restaurant whose owners said they would refuse to cater same-sex weddings.
When People magazine asked Michelle Obama and Jill Biden about the “bromance” between their husbands in 2016, Jill Biden responded, “Oh, isn’t that hysterical?”
“They’re going to be eating ice cream somewhere, I’m sure,” Jill Biden said of Biden and Obama’s post-White House plans.
They were occasionally out of step, such as when Biden endorsed same-sex marriage before Obama had gone public with his support
In an appearance on “Meet the Press” in May 2012, Biden said that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage. However, Obama had not yet publicly expressed his support.
Politico reported that Obama had planned to endorse same-sex marriage ahead of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September, and Biden had “forced Obama’s hand” on the issue. Days after Biden’s “Meet the Press” appearance, Obama expressed his view that “same-sex couples should be able to get married” in an interview with ABC News.
Still, they showed up for each other when it mattered, like when Biden’s son, Beau Biden, died of cancer in 2015
During Beau Biden’s cancer treatment, Biden told Obama during one of their weekly lunches that he was considering taking out a second mortgage on his house to support his son’s family, Biden wrote in “Promise Me, Dad.”
Biden wrote that Obama told him, “Don’t do that. I’ll give you the money.”
When Beau Biden died, Obama delivered a eulogy.
“Beau Biden was an original,” Obama said. “He was a good man. A man of character. A man who loved deeply, and was loved in return.”
Tensions simmered when Biden considered running for president in 2016, but Obama backed Hillary Clinton
In “Promise Me, Dad,” Biden wrote that Obama was “not encouraging” of his potential 2016 presidential run.
“I also believe he had concluded that Hillary Clinton was almost certain to be the nominee, which was good by him,” he wrote.
Clinton ultimately lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump.
They ended their time in the White House on good terms as Obama surprised Biden with a Presidential Medal of Freedom
Days before Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017, Obama awarded Biden with the nation’s highest civilian honor, calling him “the finest vice president we have ever seen” and “a lion of American history.”
“This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance,” Obama joked.
Biden was emotional during the surprise ceremony.
“Mr. President, this honor is not only well beyond what I deserve, but it’s a reflection on the extent and generosity of your spirit,” Biden said. “I don’t deserve this, but I know it came from the president’s heart.”
Obama didn’t endorse any candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries but campaigned for Biden once he became the presumptive nominee
Politico reported in 2020 that the relationship between Obama and Biden‘s political operations was still strained over Obama’s attempts to dissuade Biden from running in 2016. Obama also reportedly expressed doubt about Biden’s 2020 prospects in private conversations with staffers.
Obama endorsed Biden days after Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race and voiced his support for Biden’s campaign, making Biden the presumptive nominee.
At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Obama spoke highly of his former vice president.
“Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother,” he said.
Biden proved naysayers wrong when he defeated Trump in the 2020 election.
Biden and Obama appeared chummy once again while unveiling the Obamas’ official White House portraits in 2022
Obama and Michelle Obama made their first joint return to the White House in 2022 to unveil their official portraits.
In his speech, Obama referred to Biden as “vice president” before clarifying, “That was a joke” and hugging him.
“I heard some changes have been made by the current president since I was last here,” he said, continuing to poke fun at Biden. “Apparently Secret Service agents have to wear aviator glasses now. The Navy mess has been replaced by a Baskin Robbins. And there’s a cat running around. I guarantee you Bo and Sunny would have been very unhappy about.”
Biden, in turn, began his remarks by introducing himself as “Barack Obama’s vice president” and saying that having Obama back in the White House “feels like the good old days.”
Obama began sharing doubts about Biden’s ability to win in 2024 after the president’s disastrous debate performance against Trump, according to reports
Biden’s poor debate performance proved disastrous for his campaign. The president appeared frail and offered convoluted answers to questions, sparking panic among Democrats and raising questions about his age and fitness for another four-year term.
An anonymous former Obama aide told The New York Times that Obama was “startled” by how Biden had “aged and seemed disoriented” when they appeared together at a campaign fundraiser in June.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the private conversations, The Washington Post reported that Obama had begun sharing his doubts about Biden’s ability to win the election against Trump.
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” host Joe Scarborough said that members of Biden’s campaign believed that Obama was supporting opposition to Biden’s candidacy from within the Democratic party.
At the time, representatives for Obama and the Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Biden ultimately bowed out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris
Biden immediately endorsed Harris after announcing his exit from the race on July 21, while Obama held off on endorsing Harris until July 26.
Biden will address the Democratic National Convention on Monday, while Obama is scheduled to speak on Tuesday.
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