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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden welcomed a high-wattage collection of singers, authors, artists and humanitarians to the White House on Tuesday to present them with medals — and then stole the show himself with a quip about seeking reelection.Bruce Springsteen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mindy Kaling and Gladys Knight were among the 22 people and organizations being honored. When author Colson Whitehead’s award was announced, Biden noted that the author of "The Underground Railroad" and "The Nickel Boys" has already won back-to-back Pulitzer Prizes.The president, who is expected to announce for reelection this spring, quickly picked up on that and joked that he was looking "for a back-to-back myself," drawing a laugh from the audience.It was a feel-good event in the East Room, as the honorees stepped forward to receive their awards one by one.

Louis-Dreyfus, who channeled Biden’s resume when she starred in "Veep," jokingly sagged under the weight when the president placed the medal for the arts around her neck. Springsteen, with his everyman persona, looked incongruous in a black suit.

Poet and author Richard Blanco stunned in a teal tuxedo. Knight, the "empress of soul," gave the president a giant hug when he put the medal around her neck.Biden joked that he opens his closet to find designer Vera Wang inside — her clothes, anyway — then said, "Your dresses always look beautiful on my wife."The medals are Biden’s first batch of awards for the arts and humanities and were delayed by the pandemic.

The president surprised Sir Elton John with a National Humanities Medal during a White House musical event last September. Below is the list of 2021 recipients:Judith Francisca Baca: Judith Francisca Baca’s collaborative work has

Joe Biden Elton John Bruce Springsteen Mindy Kaling Vera Wang