Obama praises Biden for guiding US through ‘perilous times’ at portrait unveiling: ‘The country is better off’

‘Thanks to your decency, and thanks to your strength – maybe most of all, thanks to your faith in our democracy and the American people, the country is better off than when you took office’

Former president Barack Obama returned to the White House and offered strong words of praise and support for the man who served as his vice president for eight years, president Joe Biden.

Mr Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama’s appearance at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Wednesday to unveil their official White House portraits was the first joint visit there since they left to escort Donald Trump to the Capitol on Inauguration Day in January 2017. It was Mr Obama’s second trip back this year, with the first coming in April for an event to celebrate the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.

Traditionally, White House portraits of former presidents are unveiled by their immediate successors, but Mr Obama’s successor – Donald Trump – never scheduled a ceremony to do so even though both Mr Obama’s and Ms Obama’s portraits were completed during his term.

It’s unclear whether Mr Biden will resume the tradition by hosting Mr Trump for an unveiling ceremony of his own, particularly since the twice-impeached ex-president has taken great pains to cast the sitting president who defeated him in 2020 as illegitimate and is all but certain to mount a campaign against him in 2024.

Asked whether Mr Biden would host Mr Trump for a portrait unveiling, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she would “defer those questions to the White House Historical Association”.

“They lead the process on official portraits for both presidents and their spouses. So that question lies with them,” she said.

After Mr Biden entered the East Room with Mr Obama, Ms Obama and first lady Jill Biden, the president said “nothing could have prepared [him] better” for the presidency than the eight years he spent as Mr Obama’s vice president.

“I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

Former president Obama and his wife Michelle at the portrait unveiling (Reuters)

Mr Biden also acknowledged the presence of numerous Obama-era cabinet and staff members, drawing laughter when he quipped that some of those former White House officials had been “foolish enough” to return under him.

“We trusted him, all of you in this room,” Mr Biden said of Mr Obama. “We believed in him, we counted on him. And I still do.”

After both paintings were unveiled to loud applause, Mr Obama thanked Mr Biden for letting the former first couple invite “a few friends” for the occasion.

Turning to the subject of his former vice president’s time in the presidency so far, Mr Obama recalled former president Harry Truman’s advice that the only way to get a friend in Washington was to get a dog.

Obama called Mr Biden ‘a true friend’ (AP)

“Our family was lucky enough to have two wonderful dogs, but I was even luckier to have a chance to spend eight years working day and night with a man who became a true partner and a true friend,” said Mr Obama, who added that it was now “America’s good fortune” to have Mr Biden atop the executive branch.

“You have guided us through some perilous times,” he said.

Mr Obama praised Mr Biden for having “built on and gone beyond” his administration’s work to expand access to health care, combat climate change, “advance social justice” and promote “economic fairness”.

“Thanks to your decency, and thanks to your strength – maybe most of all, thanks to your faith in our democracy and the American people, the country is better off than when you took office,” he said, adding later that Americans should be “deeply grateful” for Mr Biden’s leadership.