Former President Joe Biden revealed this week that despite stepping away from the political spotlight, he remains a trusted behind-the-scenes figure for both international leaders and American lawmakers—Democrats and Republicans alike—during what he characterized as a deeply turbulent period under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Speaking Wednesday at the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual conference in San Diego, Biden responded candidly when asked how he’s spending his time since leaving office.
“I’ve stayed engaged because I care deeply about this country,” Biden said. “A lot of the things I worked so damn hard on—things I thought had reshaped America—are being dismantled at a stunning pace.”
The former president alluded to Trump’s ongoing efforts to roll back many of his administration’s policy achievements, prompting what he described as an outpouring of concern and outreach.
“I’m getting calls—I won’t go into detail—from a number of European leaders asking me to weigh in,” he said. “I’m not actively involved, but I give advice. Things are different now. And mistakes today carry far greater consequences than they did 50 years ago.”
Biden emphasized that America’s global leadership remains essential: “If the U.S. doesn’t lead the world, who will? That’s not a joke. Not because of power, but because we’re the only ones who can bring people together.”
Though he’s not making public appearances or political endorsements regularly, Biden said that political figures from both parties frequently reach out to him in private.
“I’m not soliciting it,” he noted. “But they ask to see me, and I see them—not because they think I have all the answers, but just to talk things through.”
Biden, 81, disclosed in May that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, but told the audience he’s “working like hell” on writing a detailed 500-page memoir chronicling his presidency.
“They want me to focus on just the four years,” he said, “and to tell the story of what happened, how it shaped the world—and whether it really did.”
While Biden’s current role may be quieter than the one he held in the Oval Office, it’s clear he still sees himself as an active participant in America’s evolving political landscape—offering counsel, preserving his legacy, and preparing to tell his side of the story.