If he had his way, Joe Biden would be in the White House today. Instead, the former president is searching for newfound relevance in the second Trump era, making occasional speeches to remind the public that he’s still around and lambasting his old rival.
“What makes us distinct from the rest of the world comes down to basic, in my view, fundamental American values,” Biden said in a Chicago speech aimed at highlighting what Democrats say are GOP-led threats to Social Security. “Nobody’s king. Nobody is the boss. Everybody has a shot.”
Biden spoke at the Chicago conference of the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled as President Donald Trump’s honeymoon phase draws to a close and Democrats look to regain their competitive edge.
The former president did not name Trump but took shots at him and what Biden says are Republican threats to cut Social Security.
“Republican members of the Congress wanted to cut and gut Social Security. Period. Cut and gut it,” Biden, 82, said. “Not on my watch.”
Biden isn’t the only Democratic stalwart leading the charge against Trump.
Former President Barack Obama is still making noise as well, speaking out this week on the battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration on antisemitism. Obama praised the elite school for defying Trump’s “attempt to stifle academic freedom” and also waded into the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court race that Democrats won.
Even former Vice President Kamala Harris is staying in the headlines, entertaining a run for California governor and publicly mulling over the idea of creating a policy-focused think tank.
Biden, in particular, has kept a low profile after hitting the ejector seat on his own reelection bid last July. But he’s slowly returning to the scene.
His speech came weeks after NBC News reported that the former president aims to help the Democrats navigate the path back to relevance after the 2024 campaign’s disaster. He has also made two other public appearances, speaking to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Washington, D.C., and at the Model United Nations conference in New York City.
Not everyone believes his reemergence is to the party’s benefit.
“It would be better if you gave more of an opportunity for younger Democrats, especially those outside of the Beltway, to find their voice and reach a national audience,” Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said.
Bannon would rather see swing-state governors, such as Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Josh Shapiro (D-PA), or even Andy Beshear (D-KY), take the reins over a figure from the past like Biden. But he said an occasional appearance on a topic such as Social Security could be a plus.
Another party strategist, Stefan Hankin, shared a similar view.
“If Biden is using his connection with older voters and passing the baton, then it can be a good thing,” Hankin said. “If it is just an attempt to get back into the spotlight, [then it’s] less likely it will be helpful.”
Some politicos have been harsher than that.
A former adviser to the Biden campaign told Politico, “The country would be better served if he rode off into the sunset.”
But Democratic Party officials, at least publicly, are embracing the Biden comeback.
“The unprecedented assault on Social Security is an all-hands-on-deck moment that requires all of us to show up, stand up, and speak up, which is why President Biden’s voice in this fight is going to be so incredibly important,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Tuesday.
Biden reportedly met with Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin in February, after which the DNC sent a Biden-signed fundraising email, signaling another connection with party brass.
Social Security could be a good topic for the elderly former president to discuss, even if he won’t be a major voice for Democrats going forward. But other party leaders have also embraced the issue, continuing a long-running tradition of accusing GOPers of cutting Social Security.
Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) said earlier this week that Trump has “absolutely no respect” for Social Security in spite of Trump’s frequent promises to protect the program.
Republicans, on the other hand, don’t seem to mind Biden clambering back onto the national stage.
“They should let him,” former Republican National Committee spokesman Doug Heye said. “More interesting will be Democrats’ reactions. Will they try to ignore him, or will someone say, ‘Let’s go get a cup of coffee,’ and try to keep him from more speeches?”
John Feehery, another Republican strategist, said Biden’s speech confirms the purpose of Social Security.
“Some people really need to retire,” he said. “Like Biden.”
Trump gave a similar response when asked about his former rival getting back into politics, saying, “I hope so.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took things a step further, noting that Biden’s speech was scheduled to take place in the evening.
“I’m shocked that he is speaking at nighttime,” she said during Tuesday’s press briefing. “I thought his bedtime was much earlier than his speech tonight.”
Clash of cultures: Can the New Right coexist with the old — and with itself?
In an attempt to ward off Biden’s message, she also announced Trump would sign a memorandum preventing illegal immigrants from receiving Social Security Act benefits. Immigrants are already unable to receive Social Security if they are in the country illegally, but Trump and his advisers, including X owner Elon Musk, have amplified claims that millions are being placed into the program.
Trump will hope to keep fears over Social Security cuts, and Democrats generally, on the back foot as the honeymoon phase of his second term wears off. If he can’t, Biden will be ready to let him know about it.
Rachel Schilke contributed to this story
