Joe Biden was all smiles on Tuesday as he handed out the National Medal of Arts to luminaries including Bruce Springsteen, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and writer Colson Whitehead, making jokes about their work as well as his own 2024 ambitions.
After listing out Springsteen’s many achievements, the president said some people are just “born to run” for public office, a reference to the famous Springsteen anthem of the same name.
When it came time to give Whitehead his medal, Mr Biden riffed off the author’s back-to-back Pulitzer prizes for his novels The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys.
"How in the hell did you do that? Pretty good man. I’m kinda looking for back-to-back myself," Mr Biden said.
Louis-Dreyfus was given the medal, meanwhile, “for her humour and wit that has helped to redfine American culture, as one of the most decorated comedic actors of our time” who “has blazed a trail for women in comedy and across American life through her commitment to excellence and the power of her example,” an announcer said.
Mr Biden had a more lighthearted remark to offer, referencing Louis-Dreyfus’s famous role on Veep as fictional vice-president Selina Meyer.
"I’m gonna talk to Julia later whether she liked being VP or president better," Mr Biden, who previously served as vice-president during the Obama administration, said. "I got to figure that one out."
The president wasn’t the only one having fun.
While accepting her award, Louis-Dreyfus showed some of the physical comedy she became known for on Seinfeld, pretending to be weighed down by the massive medal she was accepting.
Other awardees include singer Gladys Knight and writer-performer Mindy Kaling.
