SCRANTON, Pa. — President Biden made a trip to his hometown of Scranton on Friday to give an emotional eulogy at the funeral of his best childhood friend.
The president returned to the Catholic Church where he said he was baptized, St. Paul’s, to attend the funeral where he was surrounded by old, close friends to mark the life of Thomas Bell, who died on Sept. 18 at the age of 81.
Biden called his late friend a man of “immense character” and recalled their childhood together, during which Bell, Biden said, found “the ordinary was boring and the extraordinary was thrilling.” The president grew emotional twice during his remarks, speaking at the church he knew well and in front of friendly faces.
“I apologize, I’m supposed to be the president and not get emotional, but Tommy brings out all the emotion in me. I could always count on Tommy and hope he knew he could always count on me as well,” the president said.
Biden recalled when he told Bell his intention to run for president, saying that Bell told him he could win.
“All the years later, no matter what was going on, I was his Joe and he was Tommy. Nothing changed in our relationship,” Biden said.
The president, in his typical form, cited Irish poets and spoke about loss, drawing from his own personal experience after the loss of a wife and children.
“Tommy was a —,” Biden said, pausing for several sections. “All these years, we stayed close, it matters.”
“I apologize for getting emotional. I thank you all for allowing me to participate,” he added.
After his eulogy, Biden was quickly back to presidential duties in the form of briefings on the Israeli strikes on a Beirut suburb and updates on Hurricane Helene that is ravaging the Southeast.
