Obama returns to the White House, Biden is the luck of the United States

Barack and Michelle Obama are back.

And not only in portrait form, the first African-American presidential couple in the historic White House gallery, but in flesh, blood and charm for a tradition that began with the Fords and the Carters and which had not taken place for ten years due to Covid and Donald Trump.

The former First Lady had been missing since January 2017, when she and her husband passed the baton to the tycoon and Melania, Barack returned last April to a ceremony to celebrate Obamacare, his health law, amid the jubilation of everything. the staff and the public present.

Today, the excitement at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was even higher.

The former presidential couple was greeted with long applause and cheers from co-workers and ex.

An occasion that has always been festive and bipartisan,

in 2012 Obama had warmly welcomed George W. Bush and his wife Laura in 2012 - "you left me a good sports package on TV, I'll use it", he joked - in this case the atmosphere was perhaps more familiar.

"Nothing could have prepared me better for the presidency than to be by your side", began Joe Biden giving the "welcome home" to the Obamas and underlining how Barack is "the most upright person I know" and his presidency is one of the most significant. of US history.

And then turning to Michelle: "I know, but he knows it too, he would never have done it without you."

After eight years spent side by side as president and vice president, there is mutual respect and esteem between Obama and Biden.

A deep friendship, the official version of

an administration which, however, many see as a facade.

Someone recalled Obama's poisonous joke in his last White House appearance that he called Biden "my vice president", pointing out that many on the president's staff blame his former boss for being arrogant and for not unconditionally supporting the current Commander's policies. -in-chief.

Today, in the same East Room where he handed him the Presidential Medal for Freedom in 2017, Obama wanted to emphasize that having Biden as president "is America's luck".

Two months before the Midterm elections it was important that the two heavyweights of the Democratic party show a united and compact front.

In speeches by the president and former president, such as those of First Lady and former First Lady,

The themes of the union of the two families and the experiences shared in the White House have often arisen, a real "home" for everyone from the daughters of Barack and Michelle Sasha and Malia to the grandchildren of the Bidens.

It is highly unlikely that such a ceremony will ever repeat itself with the Trumps in the coming months, although according to some, the portraits of Donald and Melania are in the works.

The tycoon, often reluctant to celebrate Washington's traditions during his presidency, had refused to hold the ceremony for Obama who had violently attacked throughout his campaign even accusing him, without any foundation, of spying on him.

The portraits of Barack and Michelle were made by Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung, two non-African American artists unlike Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley,

who a few ago made the paintings now exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.

McCurdy, known for his hyper-realistic paintings on white backdrops, has portrayed Jeff Bezos, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Jane Goodall among others.

"I asked him to make my ears smaller but Robert portrays you as you are, with your flaws," Obama joked.

Michelle, who in the painting is wearing an elegant powder blue dress and sitting in an armchair in the Red Room, stressed that "traditions like this matter, not just for those of us who hold these positions, but for all who look at our democracy. ".

the Dalai Lama and Jane Goodall.

"I asked him to make my ears smaller but Robert portrays you as you are, with your flaws," Obama joked.

Michelle, who in the painting is wearing an elegant powder blue dress and sitting in an armchair in the Red Room, stressed that "traditions like this matter, not just for those of us who hold these positions, but for all who look at our democracy. ".

the Dalai Lama and Jane Goodall.

"I asked him to make my ears smaller but Robert portrays you as you are, with your flaws," Obama joked.

Michelle, who in the painting is wearing an elegant powder blue dress and sitting in an armchair in the Red Room, stressed that "traditions like this matter, not just for those of us who hold these positions, but for all who look at our democracy. ".