President Joe Biden made his first major foray outside the White House on Friday to visit wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. Biden thanked the hospital staff for taking care of him at Beau in his last days “with great grace and dignity”. (January 29)
Video transcription
JOE BIDEN: Good to see you. What’s up, dude?
ANDREW BARR: Mr. President, welcome.
JOE BIDEN: Good to see you. I spent a lot of time here.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir. Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: How are you, man?
RANDY SWANSON: Sir, how are you? Master Chief Swanson Command. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
ANDREW BARR: Mr. President, welcome to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. I’m Colonel Andrew Barr, director of the hospital. It is a great honor and privilege to welcome you back to the President’s hospital, the flagship of military medicine. Like this–
JOE BIDEN: Well, you have been, as Megan would tell you, you have been doing a lot for my family.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: My son Beau, after a year in Iraq, came back with a stage 4 glioblastoma. You took care of him in his last days –
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: – with great grace and dignity. And in old Walter Reed, I spent six months with two cranial aneurysms and an atrial embolism. So much fun.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: The documents are fine. Nurses are better.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: Male and female.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: Do you know what I mean?
ANDREW BARR: Absolutely.
JOE BIDEN: Anyway, you saved my life here.
ANDREW BARR: Thank you. Sir, this is Commander-in-Chief Randy Swanson. He is our senior enlisted leader.
JOE BIDEN: I know I know. I will never forget when my son Beau graduated. I said, Beau, you are a senior officer. He said: Dad, I have no illusions. I do not know anything.
[LAUGHTER]
RANDY SWANSON: Sir, it is an absolute honor to have you here.
JOE BIDEN: It is an honor to be back.
RANDY SWANSON: We look forward to presenting our team and our mission here.
JOE BIDEN: Well, I’m looking forward to seeing that. For eight years, as vice president, I would come here. My whole family would spend every Christmas day here all day.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: And seeing everyone, and the good news is that there are not many people here –
RANDY SWANSON: Yes sir.
ANDREW BARR: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: –today. There were many at that time.
RANDY SWANSON: Yes sir.
JOE BIDEN: Well, you do a wonderful job. You really, really. I look forward to seeing you again.
ANDREW BARR: Thank you sir.
JOE BIDEN: Thank you.
– Allright Sir.
– How does it feel to be back as commander in chief?
– Where are we going?