Oct 16, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Biden, Obama and Clinton converge at Ethel Kennedy's funeral

Sareen Habeshian

US President Joe Biden, from left, former US president Barack Obama, and former US president Bill Clinton during a memorial service for Ethel Kennedy at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Robert F. Kennedy, died at — President Biden, from left, former President Obama and former President Clinton during a memorial service for Ethel Kennedy at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., Oct. 16. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Biden and former Presidents Obama and Clinton attended the funeral of Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's widow, on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

The big picture: It's a rare sighting of Biden and Obama together since the president dropped out of the 2024 race, following speculation that Obama was part of the Democratic chorus encouraging him to do so.

Several people close to Biden said prior to his exit that they believed his bitterness toward Obama made the president more determined to continue his campaign.
Obama praised Biden following his decision to drop out, saying it was a testament to the president's "love of country."

Catch up quick: Ethel Kennedy, one of the last links to the fabled Camelot era of American politics, died of complications from a stroke she suffered last week, Axios' Mike Deehan writes. She was 96 years old.

The funeral also marked the first time former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spoke to Biden, albeit from stage, since urging him to drop out of the 2024 race.

Pelosi said earlier this week that she hadn't spoken to Biden in months, and that she believed some of his allies "haven't forgiven" her for pressuring him about the decision.

She addressed the three men at the funeral during a speech, saying, "Mr. President, Mr. President, Mr. President. How perfect for Ethel to have three great presidents of the United States speak at her funeral."

Go deeper: Pelosi says some "haven't forgiven" her for pressuring Biden to drop out

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Biden, Obama and Clinton converge at Ethel Kennedy's funeral

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