The Bidens and former Vice President Kamala Harris are resurfacing on the political scene as the Democratic Party lacks a clear leader and message to counter President Donald Trump.
Former President Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to speak out on ABC’s The View on Thursday morning in their first interview since leaving the White House. The couple is expected to discuss life after Joe Biden’s presidency, the election loss, and the current administration.
The interview comes a week after Harris made her first big speech since Trump took office, in which she warned of a constitutional crisis and that Trump’s tariff policy is creating the “greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history.” Harris is mulling a run for California governor in 2026 or another shot at the presidency in 2028.
Meanwhile, Jill Biden landed a new role at the Milken Institute to advocate for women’s health matters. She spoke at their global conference in California on Monday about the need to launch awareness projects to highlight women’s health research.
“I’m good at campaigns,” she quipped to the audience about her new effort.
The return of the Biden-Harris duo just 100 days into Trump’s second term is a break from the presidential tradition last honored by former President George W. Bush, where former commanders-in-chief stayed out of the limelight to give space to the current president. However, former President Barack Obama remained politically active after his eight years in office, and Trump did the same, as he launched a reelection bid and fought off numerous criminal prosecutions.
While the Bidens are offering to jump back into the fight to counter Trump through public engagements and fundraising, there’s a mixed reaction among Democrats as to whether the Biden-Harris team is welcomed back.
“Nobody is looking for the people who failed to inspire the nation and allowed fascism to climb back onto the stage right now,” Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, told the Washington Examiner. “If they want to help, they should work the phones behind the scenes and raise funds for front-line groups who are in combat during this moment.”
However, Isaiah Martin, a Texas Democrat running for Congress, welcomed the Bidens back into the political arena.
“I think that at this moment, we’re at an all-hands-on-deck moment, and we should be having all Democrats from all sides coming together to unite against Trump’s damage to our economy,” Martin, a political influencer and candidate for the Texas 18th district special election, told the Washington Examiner. “President Biden oversaw tremendous economic growth, as well as Vice President Harris, and they’re seeing America standing in the world get completely obliterated.”
“I think it’s good to have them in the fight alongside all of us to make sure that we are pushing back effectively against Trump’s tariffs, his damage, and everything else,” he continued.
Thursday will mark Joe Biden’s 11th appearance on The View, with his first being in 2007 and his most recent being Sept. 24, 2024, just over two months after he announced he would be dropping out of the 2025 presidential race. The former president faced enormous pressure from his party to step down over concerns about his age and mental acuity following a disastrous debate against Trump, during which he stumbled on his words.
“Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, as they’ve indicated, they still care about this country. And, you know, they have something to say, they’re going to say it,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said at a press conference Monday.
“As House Democrats, we’re going to continue to keep our focus on the economy, on driving down the high cost of living, on protecting and strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and saving these important parts of the fabric of America from reckless Republican attacks,” he continued.
Biden’s White House has faced sharp backlash for what many have deemed a “cover-up” for his cognitive decline during his years in office. Axios writer Alex Thompson pointed to failures in the mainstream press for their Biden coverage during his award acceptance speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner late last month.
“President Biden’s decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception,” Thompson said, adding that the media “bear some responsibility” for the decline in trust in the press.
Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, now a host on MSNBC, has pushed back on this sentiment, saying “cover-up” is a loaded term on Semafor’s Mixed Signals podcast.
Some lawmakers seemed rather dismissive of Biden’s effort to make a reappearance for the party.
One House Democratic lawmaker told the Washington Examiner he won’t be tuning in to watch the Bidens and didn’t want to comment further on his resurgence.
Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) said, “I think former presidents can spend their time however they want, I don’t really have any other opinion on it.”
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) told the Washington Examiner that Democrats have other things to focus on.
“I’m just focused on what we’re gonna see out of the markups this week, and I think that’s what matters, the potential cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” he said.
“I don’t have strong feelings TBH, I’m OK with them being out there giving speeches,” another Democrat told the Washington Examiner.
Harris made her first appearance last week at an event in San Francisco put on by an organization that supports Democratic women who run for political office. She spoke for 16 minutes and criticized many of Trump’s policies.
“I am not here tonight to offer all the answers, but I am here to say this: You are not alone, and we are all in this together,” Harris said. “And, straight talk, things are probably going to get worse before they get better, but we are ready for it.”
She also joined celebrities on Monday evening at the Met Gala in New York City, donning a white and black gown.
Since November, Democrats have been left without a clear leader, leaving many people wondering where the direction of the party will go. Members have also been torn on a clear message.
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Democratic National Committee Vice Chairman David Hogg launched an initiative to primary older incumbents, even though the party leadership has strongly urged them to drop the matter. The DNC denounced the idea.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have pushed back against the Trump administration through their “Fight the Oligarchy” tour, which has raised questions about Ocasio-Cortez’s aspirations for a higher office. Many have called on her to primary Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Rachel Schilke and Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.