Joe Biden met privately last month with newly appointed Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin and offered to fundraise, campaign, and assist in any way necessary as the party struggles to recover from its 2024 defeat and the Trump administration rolls back key Democratic policies, according to sources close to him.
However, Biden’s outreach has gained little traction. Many party activists and donors see him as a figure of the past rather than a leader for the future. “Who’s going to want Joe Biden back in the game?” said a major Biden supporter, speaking anonymously.
A recent NBC News poll found that just 27% of registered voters have a positive view of the Democratic Party, its lowest rating in decades. A CNN poll similarly showed only 1% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents see Biden as the leader who best reflects the party’s values.
While some party figures still appreciate Biden, others argue his presence would only remind voters of the disastrous 2024 campaign. Biden remains defiant about his 2024 run, believing Trump’s victory was the result of pressure from within the party to drop out.
Trump, for his part, has made sure Biden remains in the public conversation. Since his inauguration, Trump has referenced Biden more than 400 times in remarks, interviews, and social media posts, using him as a foil on issues such as immigration, inflation, and foreign policy. Vice President JD Vance has also taken jabs at Biden, questioning his mental acuity.
Asked why Trump continues to bring up Biden so frequently, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “We still very much are fixing so many of the problems created or started by the Biden administration. It’s important to remind the American people and media why these problems exist.”
Biden has largely avoided engaging with Trump’s attacks. Instead, his advisers believe responding directly would make it a personal rivalry rather than focusing on the broader political issues.
