It has been more than five years since President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama departed 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
On Wednesday though, they returned, as President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, revived the beloved Washington tradition of the unveiling of official White House portraits that has for decades managed to transcend partisan politics — after an awkward and anomalous gap in the Trump years.
The day marks the first return visit to the White House for Ms Obama since leaving in 2017, but the second by Mr Obama, who earlier this year attended a ceremony to mark 12 years of Obamacare.
In remarks before the unveiling, Mr Biden offered high praise to the man who occupied the Oval Office when he was vice president. Mr Obama reciprocated and also lightened the mood with jokes and “spicy” comments (as described by Mrs Obama to more laughter).
The former first lady appeared to have a thinly-veiled dig at former President Donald Trump, noting the importance of tradition in a democracy and citing the importance of a peaceful transfer of power: “Once our time is up, we move on.”
In 2012 the Obamas hosted George W Bush and Laura Bush for the unveiling of their portraits.
