Outgoing President Joe Biden was brought to tears as First Lady Jill Biden thanked and heaped praise on longtime Democratic supporters at a White House dinner on the South Lawn.
Friday's event focused on the octogenarian's final term in the nation's highest office, with Jill Biden saluting “Joe, my husband and my hero.” He praised his political achievements over the years.
“I've watched you do it for over 40 years, and what you've done in the last four years is amazing,” he told the audience, which was marked by Democratic donors and supporters. She spoke before, looking sad and shedding a few tears. Vice President Kamala Harris, an unsuccessful 2024 candidate, is absent.
Harris is currently vacationing in Hawaii with her husband, Doug Emhoff, and avoiding the spotlight following her loss.
U.S. President Joe Biden becomes emotional and wipes his eyes after speaking with First Lady Jill Biden during a dinner on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 22, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Before the president took the stage for his speech, Gilles made one final joke, urging guests and supporters: Do not jump into the pool! ”
“Joe and I are hosting this dinner tonight for a very simple reason: to say thank you. Thank you to so many dear friends,” she continued.
“We began this journey to save the souls of our people and reveal light in the darkness. And without you, I could not have grown the White House this far, and you We could never have accomplished as much as we did without them. That's not an exaggeration. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
WATCH: Jill Biden brings President Joe Biden to tears with personal eulogy
In his speech, Biden called his presidency “the honor of my life.”
“William Butler Yeats wrote, 'Consider where the glory of man begins and ends, and say that my glory was that I had such a friend.' Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” he said.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as President of the United States in the presence of these friends.”
Biden will retire from office on January 20, 2025 as the oldest president of the United States.
President-elect Donald Trump, who won an overwhelming victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, will be inaugurated in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025.
