White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that President Biden maintains “regular” communication with Barack Obama on a number of issues.
Psaki was asked by a reporter if Obama visited the White House and how often the two spoke, to which she replied that Obama and Biden have a relationship that is not defined as president and vice president – instead they are ‘ friends’.
“They are consulting and discussing a range of issues, and I would expect this to continue during President Biden’s presidency,” Psaki said. “It can be done telephonically, it seems, and I think President Obama would have been here, you all know.”
Psaki did not want to give an exact number of times the powerful couple spoke, but said they “keep in touch regularly” and also contact their respective teams regularly “on a number of issues.”
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Psaki added that given Obama’s work on the Affordable Care Act, which has committed Biden to strengthening and expanding, this is one issue they will talk about.
She showed questions about what Obama would be specifically involved with his team about.
Biden has tapped a number of individuals who previously served in the Obama administration to join his team, including Chief of Staff Ron Klain, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Secretary of State foreign affairs, Antony Blinken.
Despite the long-standing friendship, Obama attracted interest from the media after waiting until late in the campaign to formally endorse Biden.
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Meanwhile, throughout the campaign, Biden drew criticism from Democratic rivals who accused him of relying on Obama’s legacy.
During one debate in 2019, for example, Julián Castro, who served as Obama’s housing secretary, said Biden wanted to take credit for the Obama administration’s victories – but did not want to answer for any possible shortcomings.
“My problem with Vice President Biden … every time something good comes up to Barack Obama, he says, ‘Oh, I was there, I was there, I was there, it was me too,'” Castro said. “And every time someone questions a part of the government that we are both part of, he says, ‘Well, that was the president. “I mean, he wants to take credit for Obama’s work, but does not have to answer any questions. ‘
Biden replied at the time that he had stood with Obama during the eight years of his term.