Old footage of former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s relationship made viewers nostalgic during night three of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday. Ahead of Obama’s poignant speech, video of him surprising his vice president with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2017 aired.
At the time, the honor left Biden in tears, with the politician turning around to collect himself as Obama presented him the medal with special distinction. This was the first time Obama had ever bestowed the honor with elevated recognition, placing Biden among the ranks of Pope John Paul II, President Ronald Reagan and Gen. Colin Powell.
The moment gave Twitter users all the feels, with one writing, “I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING!”
“Oh, this moment when Obama surprised Joe with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I’m gonna cry again,” another wrote.
“This clip never gets old. Biden trying so hard not to weep as he is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction from President,” another user tweeted.
During the telecast, Obama also spoke in support of his former VP and “brother,” Biden.
“Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother,” Obama expressed. “Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe’s a man who learned early on to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: ‘No one’s better than you, Joe, but you’re better than nobody.'”
“For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president, and he’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country,” he added. “That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts, that’s who Joe is.”
