Former President Joe Biden has reemerged into the general public eye with two back-to-back sit-down interviews, sharing his analysis of the Democrats’ stinging election losses, defending his psychological acuity, which was fiercely questioned on the finish of his time period, and all of the whereas defining his model of his greater than three-decades-long political legacy.
And whereas some Democrats say there’s “a spot for Joe Biden on the desk,” others say it is higher for him to be out of the highlight and that relitigating his marketing campaign is stagnating the occasion.
Chatting with ABC’s “The View” on Thursday, Biden took accountability for President Donald Trump’s historic return to the White Home and pushed again on claims of cognitive decline in his ultimate 12 months in workplace. He additionally addressed his subsequent steps, saying he was “getting squared away attempting to determine what probably the most vital and consequential position I can play, in keeping with what I’ve performed prior to now.”
A part of that reflection will come within the type of a e book that he mentioned he’s starting to write down now. However some Democrats are torn as as to if the e book and some media appearances are the place they’d like his contributions to finish.
Lengthy-time allies of the previous president informed ABC Information that they welcome Biden’s return and advocate for him to staunchly defend and outline his status and accomplishments publicly.
Former President Joe Biden seems on ABC Information’ The View, Might 8, 2025.
ABC Information
“He has a accountability and positively the best to defend his report. Biden can be past loopy simply to quietly let his report get misrepresented because it has been performed all final week,” Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn informed ABC Information. Clyburn mentioned he was unable to look at Biden on “The View,” however was “glad” to see Biden on the market.
Former Democratic Nationwide Committee Chair Jamie Harrison additionally mentioned he was heartened by Biden’s latest appearances — one other of which was with the BBC earlier this week.
“Seeing Joe Biden jogs my memory that our president could be a good, first rate and trustworthy chief. Jogs my memory that we’ve got had presidents with slight majorities which have legislated to guard the surroundings, stabilized and grown the economic system, created new jobs, lowered the price of well being care, invested in our infrastructure and revered our nation’s historical past. I’ll all the time be grateful to President Biden for his dedication to saving America in one in all our darkest occasions,” mentioned Harrison.
Veteran Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, former interim DNC chair, mentioned she welcomed Biden again into the general public sq. and pointed to Trump’s frequent invocation of the previous president as a principal purpose why Biden ought to reply.
Brazile, a present ABC Information contributor, added that Biden stayed comparatively quiet throughout Trump’s first 100 days in workplace this time period, honoring an unwritten presidential custom, and careworn that Biden deserves a platform.
“There’s a spot for Joe Biden on the desk, and we should always acknowledge that,” Brazile mentioned. “Simply since you’re a former president doesn’t suggest that it’s important to in some way or one other disappear. Former presidents have each proper to talk up.”
Brazile did have one concern: that the occasion would look to just one voice to take cues from on this interval of rebuilding — a behavior she mentioned she finds unwise. As an alternative, Brazile mentioned she hopes this turns into a time when a “new group of leaders” emerge.
Former President Joe Biden and first girl Jill Biden seem on ABC Information’ The View, Might 8, 2025.
ABC Information
Ken Martin, the present chair of the DNC, expressed gratitude for Biden in a press release to ABC: “No Democratic president has invested extra within the Celebration’s infrastructure than Joe Biden, and I am deeply grateful for the President’s service not solely to our nation however his ongoing service to the Celebration.”
Jamie Selzler, a DNC member from North Dakota and former govt director of the state’s Democratic occasion, disagreed with some factors Biden raised in his interview on “The View,” notably that he might have prevailed over Trump.
Nonetheless Selzer together with different Democrats say that regardless of their breaks from Biden’s view of campaigns previous, really feel that he needs to be some a part of the occasion’s future.
“We’d like extra voices on this battle, not fewer, and President Biden’s voice is a welcome one,” Selzer mentioned.
Different blocs of the occasion are much more crucial, with some Democrats telling ABC Information that they discover the previous president’s foray defensive and a misguided distraction.
One Democratic strategist mentioned they imagine Biden is mishandling his position and stagnating the occasion.
So long as the conversations revolve round Biden, the strategist, who has expertise in Congress and presidential campaigns, mentioned, “we can’t transfer ahead as a rustic or a celebration.”
“He is not likely telling his personal story. He is simply preventing with everybody else about their telling of his story,” the strategist mentioned.
This strategist mentioned they imagine that Biden ought to comply with within the much less vocal post-White Home footsteps of former presidents comparable to Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Invoice Clinton. This individual mentioned Biden ought to focus his consideration on his eventual presidential library and basis.
“These first 100 days, these first six months, like this primary calendar 12 months, it is all going to be political questions. You do not have to reply these anymore. You really should not be answering these anymore,” the strategist mentioned of Biden. “Democrats speak quite a bit about how Donald Trump has ruined norms. Joe Biden is form of ruining a whole lot of norms with the best way to be an ex-president proper now.”
Senior Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett informed ABC Information that whereas Biden is entitled to defend his legacy, relitigating marketing campaign losses, or in his estimation, “rewriting political historical past,” is wholly unhelpful and careworn the occasion is in determined want to maneuver ahead.
“The Democratic Celebration is working to claw itself out of the political wilderness we have been left in below the stewardship of Joe Biden. It is completely delusional and intensely unhelpful for Biden to wax poetic about how he might have overwhelmed Trump, given the dire straits he left our coalition in,” mentioned Hackett.
To Hackett, Biden will greatest serve fellow Democrats from the wings.
“Probably the most consequential position Biden can play is one off stage, removed from the highlight of home politics,” he mentioned.
