Lip Reader Tells Us Obama Couldn't Hold Back Impatience In Viral Convo With Biden
When Barack Obama was the president of the United States from 2009 through 2017, President Joe Biden was his vice president and right-hand man. Throughout their time in office, the duo was known for their strong bond and lasting friendship. Yet, a viral video of the pair at Ethel Kennedy's memorial service has folks questioning what their relationship looks like today. While the video doesn't allow us to hear what Obama and Biden are saying to each other, there seems to be an intense conversation transpiring. And, according to a lip reader, their words may indicate some frustration.
Biden and Obama speaking with each other at the Ethel Kennedy Memorial Service pic.twitter.com/izlAKbsmcM
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024
On October 16, Obama and Biden were both in attendance at Kennedy's memorial service in Washington, D.C. A video that's making the rounds on X, formerly Twitter, has many folks in the comment section asking for a lip reader's assistance and commenting on the apparent frustration peppering the pair's interaction. In an exclusive interview with The List, lip reader Nicola Hickling answered the questions on everyone's minds. "Following the G7, Obama and Biden are having a tense conversation," Hickling explained. While she is "uncertain what their conversation's core subject is," it seems that folks guessing that Obama and Biden were at odds during the interaction may have been on the right track. She noted, "It seemed like they needed to agree on a matter close to them."
Biden seemed saddened by something Obama said
According to Nicola Hickling, early in their conversation, it appears that Joe Biden said, "You mean it's not going to happen today." Barack Obama replied, saying, "No, that's not all; it could work if we can ask the boys. We have to stop pretending." Hickling notes that "Obama is insistent that something important to Biden isn't happen[ing], and the look of disappointment on Biden's face is apparent." She explains that "Obama then makes it straightforward to Biden that they need to follow orders." According to her, "Biden brings up the name 'Charlotte.' I have no idea who this is, but she was apparently in the meeting with them. Obama then goes on to tell Biden how hectic it's going to be for the next couple of weeks and that they need to adapt."
At this point, it already seemed like Obama was feeling a bit frustrated, but this became even more apparent when, shortly after, he said, "I'm getting tired of it." After this, the conversation didn't persist much longer before Obama whispered something in Biden's ear, and the pair appeared to deliberately redirect their attention elsewhere. Of course, as onlookers, we're missing plenty of context in this conversation. Yet, Hickling's reading makes it clear that commenters' observation that Obama and Biden weren't happy about their conversation appears to hold some weight.