How Biden is getting used to life as a lame-duck president

Wilmington, Del., pop. 71,000, is not the most likely of destinations for a summit of world leaders gathering to discuss the issues facing the Indo-Pacific region.

But this weekend, that is where President Joe Biden is welcoming his counterparts from India, Japan and Australia — bringing them to his beloved hometown to talk about military and coast guard cooperation, and shared work on cervical cancer research.

It’s an example of how Biden is filling his schedule with a combination of the personal and the political – with an eye on his legacy – as his time in office winds down. Biden is now in the twilight of his presidency, and increasingly acknowledges it in public.

Take, for instance, debate day last week. It was originally planned as the second face-off between Biden and former President Donald Trump – until Biden stepped aside after the first one.

As Vice President Harris prepared to take the stage, Biden found himself hosting not one but two events honoring college sports teams. To one of the winning coaches, he quipped: “I won't be here next year – but you may be.”

Afterward, Biden stopped to talk to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as he headed off to New York City. “I’m going up for my granddaughter’s birthday in New York. Then we’re going to watch the debate,” Biden explained.

Biden has been receding from the spotlight as the campaign marches on. But he still holds the highest office in the land for another four months and Biden is trying to make the most of it.

Biden’s chief of staff, Jeffrey Zients, recalled the Sunday morning in July when Biden called to say he was dropping out of the race.

“He immediately turned to planning for the remainder of the term and he said to me, and I remember it distinctly, ‘I want this next period of months to be as productive or even more productive than any other period of the administration.’” Zients said.

This period, the waning months of a presidency, is known as the lame duck. But the term discounts real work that can get done, says Eric Schultz who worked right up until the end in the Obama White House.

Schulz said Obama directed his staff to leave it all on the field. “He was very clear that even in our worst days, there will be no other place in life or job or role or platform where you can have as much impact,” Schultz said.

For Biden and his team – who will have served only four years instead of eight – that feeling may be even more acute, Schultz said.

Even on the day Biden ended his bid for a second term – what might have been considered one of the lowest points of Biden’s career – he was on the phone working to secure what would become a major highlight, a complex multinational prisoner exchange.

Ten days later, Biden was on the tarmac as three Americans wrongfully detained in Russia were reunited with their families on U.S. soil. Biden said the exchange wouldn’t have been possible without strong relationships that he nurtured while in office.

“Alliances make a difference. They stepped up and took a chance for us. It mattered a lot,” Biden said.

But most of the things Biden has been doing these days haven’t been making big headlines – even as Zients said what Biden has done will have a big impact.

“He's been certainly on the road, he's been crisscrossing the country. Earlier this month. he made an announcement of the largest investment in rural electrification since FDR. That was in Wisconsin,” Zients said.

Westby, Wis., to be exact – where Biden was unburdened enough to reference a long-dead senator.

“First time I was here was about 180 years ago with William Proxmire, and I was a 31-year-old senator. I'm only 40 now,” Biden said.

Biden has been working to shore up support for legislation that will be a big part of his legacy: the infrastructure bill, the CHIPs and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“I'm back again today to begin a series of trips and events showing the progress we've made together by our ‘Investing in America’ agenda,” he said.

In the four months left, there will be overseas travel, too, for a president who has long had a passion for foreign policy.

And he’ll be back in the Blue Wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania where Biden has the best chance of helping Vice President Harris’ campaign. With time running out, Biden is well aware that the outcome of this election will play a big part in defining how he’s remembered.

NPR's Michael Levitt and Megan Lim contributed to this story.

Copyright 2024, NPR

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