Psaki: Biden and Obama Are ‘Real Friends, Not Just Washington Friends’

The White House has doubled down on the sanctity of former US President Barack Obama and sitting US President Joe Biden’s friendship bracelets as the 44th president of the US is set to visit the White House on Tuesday for an Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, event.

Responding to a question about the relationship between Joe Biden, 79, and Barack Obama, 60, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki–who worked in both administrations–proclaimed that their relationship extends beyonds politics.

“They are real friends, not just Washington friends,” she said during a Monday news briefing.

“I’ll also note, as they did every week when President –former President Obama was president and President Biden was vice president — that’s a mouthful — they will have lunch tomorrow as well, as they used to do on a weekly basis.”

The two are set to meet for lunch on Tuesday, prior to Obama’s afternoon ACA event at the White House Rose Garden.

Happy 55th, Barack! A brother to me, a best friend forever. pic.twitter.com/uNsxouTKOO

— VP Biden (Archived) (@VP44) August 4, 2016

This will be Obama’s first time back at the White House since he left office in early 2017.

Later in the briefing, a reporter pushed back against Psaki’s assertion, probing why the two are just now meeting together at the White House, despite living “a few miles apart.”

“They talk on the phone; they do that on a regular basis. I’m not going to give you the number of times they’ve had conversations, but I would note they consult on a range of issues, but also about their families and things happening in their personal lives.”

She added that their relationship is not one of “obligation,” and that the two have “developed a deep and close friendship through the course of their time serving together, and that has continued.”