Former Vice President Joe Biden tweeted out a photo of two matching friendship bracelets bearing the names “Joe” and “Barack” late Saturday to wish former President Barack Obama a “happy #BestFriendsDay.” The photo appeared to be the same one Biden used in August 2016 to wish Obama a happy birthday on Twitter, using friendship bracelets Obama himself had made for a light-hearted video urging people to vote. This time around, however, many Twitter users saw Biden’s tweet as a ploy to drum up support ahead of the 2020 election. Since he entered the 2020 race in April, Biden’s campaign has repeatedly appeared to try and remind voters of his closeness to the former president, even though Obama has stopped short of offering an endorsement. Biden said he asked Obama not to endorse him to ensure that whoever wins does so “on their own merits.”
