Barack Obama and Joe Biden used to be close friends and political partners. But according to ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, those days are long gone. In a recent interview on Katie Couric’s podcast, Karl talked about a strange moment that shows just how bad things have gotten between the two former presidents.
According to Fox News, last month, both Obama and Biden ended up at the same restaurant in Washington, D.C. called Café Milano. Their security teams even had to work around each other to make room. But here’s the weird part: Obama and Biden completely ignored each other the whole night. They didn’t talk, wave, or even look at each other.
Couric couldn’t believe what she was hearing and asked Karl about their relationship. His answer was simple and direct. “Really bad. Really bad,” Karl told her. He went on to explain that Biden and his closest advisers are angry at Obama. They think he played a big role in forcing Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
The fundraiser moment that changed everything
Karl has written a new book called Retribution that looks at what happened during the 2024 election. In his interviews promoting the book, he’s shared more details about why Obama and Biden don’t get along anymore.
One big moment stands out from last summer at a fundraiser event. Obama took Biden by the arm and walked him off the stage. It made Biden look old and weak in front of everyone. This happened when Biden was still running for president and his team was trying to convince people he was fine.
Karl said Hunter Biden got really mad when he saw that happen to his father. Obama has remained active in Democratic politics, but his relationship with the Biden family took a hit after that moment.
Things got even worse after Biden left the race and threw his support behind Kamala Harris. Biden called lots of Democratic leaders to ask them to back Harris. But there was one person he didn’t call, and that person was Obama.
Karl couldn’t believe it. “I was astounded to hear that the one person he did not call was Barack Obama, the person that really made it possible for him to be president by making him vice president,” he said. After all, Obama picked Biden to be his running mate back in 2008, which eventually helped Biden become president himself.
Obama did try to reach out and call Biden. But Biden wouldn’t take the call. Karl said the two men didn’t speak to each other for weeks after that. Looking back at the restaurant incident, Karl made it clear what it meant.
“If they had wanted to see each other, they absolutely would have,” he said. It’s a sad ending to a friendship that once seemed unbreakable and helped shape American politics for years. Harris has been reflecting on her presidential campaign while the drama between Obama and Biden continues to unfold.
Published: Nov 14, 2025 03:00 pm