--- title: Watch President Obama's Farewell Shout-Out to Joe Biden description: In his farewell address, the President said that choosing the "scrappy kid from Scranton" as his Vice President was his "best decision" canonical: https://time.com/4631086/president-obama-farewell-speech-joe-biden/ author: Kevin Lui article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-11T06:08:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T02:39:29.977Z article:section: Politics og:title: Watch President Obama's Farewell Shout-Out to Joe Biden og:description: "I gained a brother" og:url: https://time.com/4631086/president-obama-farewell-speech-joe-biden/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt60764320411754a4/6988b513f887dcb39de98a78/obama-farewell-speech-joe-biden2017-01-11t033059z_284712676_rc110b894.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: U.S. President Barack Obama hugs Vice-President Joe Biden in Chicago og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch President Obama's Farewell Shout-Out to Joe Biden twitter:description: "I gained a brother" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt60764320411754a4/6988b513f887dcb39de98a78/obama-farewell-speech-joe-biden2017-01-11t033059z_284712676_rc110b894.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'I Gained a Brother’: Watch President Obama's Farewell Shout-Out to Joe Biden by [Kevin Lui](https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Jan 11, 2017 6:08 AM UTC  U.S. President Barack Obama hugs Vice-President Joe Biden after Obama delivered a farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. January 10, 2017. U.S. President Barack Obama hugs Vice-President Joe Biden after Obama delivered a farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. January 10, 2017.John Gress—Reuters by [Kevin Lui](https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Jan 11, 2017 6:08 AM UTC In his reflective, sometimes emotional [farewell address](http://time.com/4631007/president-obama-farewell-speech-transcript/?xid=homepage) that [also called for citizen action](http://time.com/4631089/barack-obama-farewell-speech-analysis/) Tuesday night in Chicago, President Barack Obama set aside a few moments to give tribute to his political partner of eight years. After [thanking](http://time.com/4631041/barack-obama-farewell-speech-michelle-tribute-sasha-malia/?xid=homepage) his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, the President turned his attention to Vice President Joe Biden, “the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware’s favorite son.” The crowd around the Vice President, including his wife Dr. Jill Biden, got up to their feet in applause right at the mention of Biden’s name. In [classic Joe Biden style](http://time.com/4591253/joe-biden-national-treasure/), the VP made finger gun gestures and smiled back at Obama. “You were the first decision I made as a nominee, and it was the best,” the President continued, “not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain I gained a brother. And we love you and Jill like family. And your friendship has been one of the great joys of our lives.” The [rapport](http://time.com/4178517/cancer-state-of-the-union-joe-biden-obama/) between the President and the VP goes both ways, judging by what Biden [prepared](http://time.com/4439262/barack-obama-birthday-joe-biden/) for Obama’s 55th birthday in August. > [](https://twitter.com/VP/status/761253705341480962) Their heartwarming journey to becoming America’s greatest political bromance, beginning as the Democratic ticket in 2008, is [well documented](http://time.com/barack-obama-joe-biden-friendship-photos/). Obama and Biden hugged it out on stage after the President wrapped up his speech. 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