Former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, on Wednesday made their first official visit to the White House since leaving in 2017 to see their official portraits unveiled.
It’s a tradition started in 1978 by Jimmy Carter that was broken when Donald Trump refusedto host his predecessor. But on Wednesday in the East Room, President Joe Biden rolled out the welcome mat, calling Barack Obama one of the most “consequential presidents in history.”
Barack Obama thanked Sharon Sprung, the artist who painted Michelle in a blue dress as she’s seated on a sofa in the Red Room, for capturing everything he loves about his wife, including her “grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she’s fine.”
Barack Obama then thanked Robert McCurdy for his photorealistic portrait, saying he wanted the unvarnished truth to come through.