At the dusk of both of their political careers, surrounded by teary friends and family, President Barack Obama on Thursday bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Joe Biden, the man he called “the finest vice president we have ever seen.”
The vice president winced in shock as Obama announced he was conferring the nation’s highest civil honor on his right-hand-man for eight years. Biden turned away from the cameras, wiped away some tears, then stood stoically as Obama draped the blue-and-white ribbon around his neck.
“I just hope that the asterisk in history that is attached to my name when they talk about this presidency is that I can say I was part of the journey of a remarkable man who did remarkable things for this country,” Biden said.
There were standing ovations — several of them — at what had been billed as a modest farewell ceremony for Biden but evolved into a surprise bestowal of the Medal of Freedom, the last time Obama will present the honor.
“I had no idea,” Biden said of the award, insisting he didn’t deserve it.
It was the only time Obama has presented the medal “with distinction,” also awarded only once by each of the previous three presidents.
One week out from the Obama administration’s end, a deep sense of nostalgia set in at the White House as longtime staffers pack up their offices, send out their last emails and bid farewell to the president they’ve served. On Tuesday, Obama returned home to Chicago to deliver his valedictory address, and next week he’ll depart Washington as ex-president just after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.
Obama, joined Thursday by his wife and daughters, was effusive in his praise for the man who ran against him in 2008, then agreed to be his running mate. He said Biden had made him a better president, calling him “a lion of American history.”
“To know Joe Biden is to know love without pretense, service without self-regard and to live life fully,” Obama said.
The famously plainspoken Biden has long said he only agreed to the job after Obama agreed he would be the last person in the room before major decisions were made. Over two terms, they developed a bond that both men said transcended the office, with their wives, children and Biden’s grandchildren becoming close friends.
They disagreed, too, on occasion, including when Biden advocated against the high-stakes raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Biden’s tendency to veer off-script caused occasional headaches for the White House, such as when he unexpectedly announced support for gay marriage in advance of the 2012 re-election, forcing Obama to do the same soon after.
Yet as they gathered for a final goodbye, none of that seemed on either man’s mind.
Obama said there had been “no turf wars between our staffs,” a departure from other recent administrations. And Biden told the story of how after his son Beau Biden died in 2015, leaving behind a wife and children, Obama was distraught when Biden said he might sell his house to help support them, and offered to give them money instead.
It was a reunion for the many staffers and colleagues who worked with Biden over the years. Joining Biden’s wife, sister and children in the State Dining Room were former Sens. Chris Dodd and Ted Kaufman, former chief of staff Bruce Reed, and even Biden’s White House physician.
Obama traced the history of Biden’s nearly half-century-long political career, from chairing the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees to the “cancer moonshot” effort he started recently and plans to continue. Obama praised his vice president for his work on the economic stimulus, middle-class issues and curbing violence against women.
“I’ve not mentioned Amtrak yet, or aviators. ‘Literally,'” Obama said, invoking a few of the more famous “Bidenisms.”
Biden’s career in Washington started in 1972 steeped in tragedy when his wife and infant daughter died in a car crash just before he was to be sworn in as U.S. senator. After exiting the national stage next week, he plans to stay active in Democratic politics and work on policy issues at a pair of institutes he’s developing at the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania.
His folksy demeanor lent itself to plenty of jokes and caricatures, like the series of photos of Biden eating ice cream that exploded on social media. But Obama seemed fonder of the internet meme based on photos of him and Biden buddying it up.
“This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance,” the president said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
When Biden said, “I don’t deserve it” he told the truth for once. Personally, I was hoping Kerry would get this. An accidental poke while pining it would earn his 4th purple heart
Man – talk about a “Banana Republic” —- remember all those dictators running around displaying medals and awards on their chests ……same crap here……
SICK!
These guys have no shame! First he gives himself the medal of freedom and then he give Biden the medal! WHAT A JOKE!
Not to mention all the BS obama vomited out during his farewell speech! Just Garbage!!!!
Wow this is a shocker.
Whether Joe Biden deserved the medal is not for me to say. After all he was only doing his job, no matter how well he did.
When civilian medals are given to political hacks it only lessens the value of the award to those who truly earned it. And that is SHAMEFUL
All of this awarding medals for doing what you were elected to do (poorly), is an example of the damage to our culture that has occurred over the last 8 years. Awarding the medal of freedom to one self and to one’s vice president is an insult to the purpose of the medal and not the first one. It has been turned into a way to thank those who support and agree with the progressive mantra, which does not in any way equate with promoting freedom.
If Obama wants to give a Medal of Freedom to the really deserved he should, on the last second of his last day in the White House, give one to the American people who have had to endure the last eight years of the most inept and criminally corrupt presidency in the history of the great nation.
I guess after obama gave himself a medal he must have felt guilty (if that’s possible) so he gave one to Joe. Imagine the embarrassment of those people who had to attend obama’s “ceremony” for himself!! Kind of like an award for doing your job. Incredible!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a president award himself a medal before….back to FDR!
I’m sure VP Biden was honored to receive the award. I lost a lot of respect for Joe Biden in the vice presidential debates of 2008 and 2012. He came across as a first class jerk.
I’m not sure that his service rose to the level of worthiness needed for a medal of freedom. I always considered him as President Obama’s impeachment insurance.
How nice, patting each other on the back……UGH!
2 of the most worthless disgusting sleaze bag sob’s that ever stepped foot in washington, d.c.
I am still trying to get over the fact the narcissistic fool awarded himself
Imagine that. You have a president and vice president that have a bromance with each other and give them self medals for being douche bags and screwing up this country. Obama says to forget Pearl Harbor. Dumb shit forgets all the people that was killed over there. At least we will people who will fight for veterans and seniors. This pay raise for social security was a joke. The pay raise paid for medicare,and still does not pay anything more. I’m surprised dumbo didn’t give crooked hillary one too. The Clintons,Obama’s,and Comey should be put in prison for rest of their lives. Not a country either.
That should have went to veterans that had to go to middle east and had their bodies torn apart. Biden is a joke another puppet for OBAMA ,THAT HAS DONE NOTHING IN 8YRS EXCEPT PUT US FARTHER IN DEBT. SO GLAD TO SEE THEM LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE.
The “Medal of Freedom? For what?
For the same reason Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize
I GUESS THAT EVERY FREEDOM OBAMA TOOK FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE EQUATES TO ONE GRAIN OF GOLD IN THE MEDAL. HECK, TURNS OUT THAT HE STOLE ENOUGH FREEDOM FIR 2 MEDALS…… WHAT A PILE OBAMA IS, AND HIS WHOLE CROOKED REGIM…
“Bromance” These people are sick, leaving a very dark stain in American history. They achieved absolutely nothing in eight years. Even the highly touted Obama care from its inception was none of their own work. And has proven to be a historical failure. They, can thank the American taxpayers for their eight year free ride through pretendland. Looking and sounding important like little children pretending to be grown-ups.