Biden Fades From View, but Remains Central to Trump’s Narrative

Once the most powerful man in the world, Joe Biden has largely vanished from public life, even as his successor continues to invoke him daily as both foil and scapegoat.

In bitter cold beneath the US Capitol dome, Joe Biden walked toward a Marine helicopter and exchanged parting words with Donald Trump. Later, at Joint Base Andrews, he addressed his staff with a final message.

“We’re leaving office,” he said. “We’re not leaving the fight.”

One year on, Washington and much of the world have largely moved on from the 46th president.

Now 83, Biden has retreated into private life, spending his time writing a lucrative memoir, planning a presidential library and undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. His public appearances have been rare, and his political influence has visibly diminished.

The ‘Invisible Man’

Chris Whipple, author of The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House, said Biden’s low profile has been deliberate.

“He’s been the invisible man,” Whipple said.
“He’s been very smart to stay under the radar because the last thing the Democratic party needs is any reminders of his final year in office, his ill-starred 11th-hour abdication and the resulting defeat of Kamala Harris.”

Traditionally, former presidents step back from the spotlight to give successors room to govern. Trump, however, has never followed tradition.

During his years out of office, he continued to attack Biden relentlessly and repeated false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen.

A Presidency That Ended in Collapse

Biden entered office with sweeping ambitions and surprised many with the scale of legislation passed during his first two years. But his poll numbers weakened as his term progressed.

A disastrous debate performance against Trump intensified concerns about his age and ultimately forced him to abandon his re-election campaign.

A year ago this week, Biden sat beside his wife, Jill, in the Capitol Rotunda as Trump delivered an inaugural address promising to dismantle the Biden legacy.

Where Biden had framed the January 6 attack as a stain on democracy, Trump used his first day back in office to issue mass pardons to rioters and reframe the assault as patriotic protest.

A Stark Policy Reversal

Trump has since dismantled much of Biden’s agenda.

His administration has rolled back clean-energy programmes, embraced fossil fuels, purged diversity and inclusion policies and imposed loyalty tests across federal agencies. Immigration policy has hardened sharply, and universities have come under sustained political pressure.

On the world stage, Trump has pursued a doctrine of power and self-interest, straining alliances and rejecting Biden’s emphasis on Nato, multilateralism and support for Ukraine.

Limited Reappearances

While Barack Obama has remained active in public life, Biden’s appearances have been sporadic.

In May, his office announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. In July, he spoke briefly at a convention in San Diego, saying European leaders had urged him to “get engaged”.

He is also working on a 500-page memoir, reportedly sold for $10m. However, fundraising for a presidential library has proven difficult, with donors said to feel fatigued and disillusioned.

A Legacy Under Fire

Many Democrats continue to blame Biden for waiting too long to step aside in 2024, leaving Kamala Harris just 107 days to mount a campaign.

Frank Luntz, a political consultant, said the manner of Biden’s exit now defines his reputation.

“People remember how he went out, not how he came in,” Luntz said.

Kept Alive by His Successor

Despite Biden’s retreat, Trump continues to keep him firmly in the public conversation.

The president frequently references him with derisive nicknames, installed a “presidential walk of fame” mocking Biden’s portrait and launched investigations into his administration’s use of the autopen.

Republicans in Congress have also opened inquiries into Biden’s mental fitness while in office.

Yet some analysts question the strategy.

Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution said polling suggests voters increasingly view today’s economy as Trump’s responsibility.

“By more than two to one, Americans say it’s Trump’s economy, not Biden’s,” he said.
“From that standpoint, constantly invoking Biden is not helping him.”