WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden can have much more free time. He does not must look any additional former presidents for concepts on what to place in your retirement bucket listing.
At age 82, Biden is the oldest U.S. president. In a latest interview with USA Today, he acknowledged uncertainty about his future stamina, saying, “Who is aware of what I’ll be when I’m 86?”
But his age shouldn’t be exceptional amongst former presidents, 9 of whom lived into their 90s. These embody George HW Bush, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, John Adams, Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter, who just lately died at 100.
A take a look at some conventional methods – in addition to some decidedly much less standard ones – that Biden might spend his subsequent few years:
It seeks to solidify its place in historical past
Unlike his presidential predecessor-turned-successor Donald Trump, Biden will nearly definitely not try a political comeback.
The Democrat has mentioned little publicly about his post-Oval Office plans. Those who’ve recognized him for some time say it isn’t one thing that is been mentioned a lot past a small circle of shut associates.
Some trendy former presidents have collected massive charges for subsequent White House speeches. Biden, who has been plagued for a lot of his time period by low approval scores, might use such appearances to attempt to bolster his legacy and future recognition. He informed USA Today that he wished his legacy to be that he labored “to revive the economic system and reestablish America’s management on the planet.”
The excellent news for Biden is that presidents typically see their recognition improve after leaving workplace.
Republican George W. Bush was unpopular on the finish of his time period within the midst of the Iraq War and monetary disaster. But in later years he grew to become extra favorably considered, regardless of sustaining a low public profile whereas devoting himself to portray. Trump was additionally dogged by low approval scores throughout his first time period, however regained the White House in November.
Raise funds and design a presidential library
A precedence for Biden is prone to be elevating cash and beginning work on tasks for his presidential library. It would seemingly be in Biden’s dwelling state of Delaware, the place he was a senator for 36 years and spent many weekends as president.
Officials have already enlisted at the least one Biden administration ambassador to assist with fundraising. One mannequin is perhaps the Barack Obama Presidential Center, a 19.3-acre (0.08 sq. kilometer) library and museum in Chicago. Work started three years in the past, with completion anticipated in 2026.
Sort reminiscences fastidiously
Biden could also be one thing of a pack rat, aides say, and should wish to maintain memorabilia from his years within the White House. You should proceed with warning.
Federal elected officers are required to show over official paperwork and labeled supplies after they depart workplace. Biden’s private attorneys have been engaged on cautious doc administration since earlier than the labeled materials courting again to Biden’s time within the Senate and when the vice chairman was discovered on the Penn Biden Center in Washington and in Biden’s storage in Delaware.
Those findings adopted a 2022 FBI search of Trump’s Florida membership, a part of a paperwork case that was dropped after he regained the White House. In Biden’s case, Special Prosecutor Robert Hur later launched a report disputing the president’s age and psychological competence, however didn’t search legal costs for mishandled paperwork.
“We will do our greatest, definitely, to watch out to observe the foundations, to do it the appropriate approach,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned when requested Friday in regards to the preservation of the paperwork.
Write one other memoir, additionally fastidiously
Biden has not expressed a lot curiosity, these near him say, in writing one other guide. He has written two memoirs, “Promises to Keep” printed in 2007, and “Promise Me, Dad”, printed in 2017.
Ultimately, although, he could select to work on a 3rd, to assist solidify his aforementioned legacy. Once once more, he must proceed with warning.
Hur accused Biden of being careless in sharing confidential info with ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, who labored on Biden’s first two books. The particular prosecutor thought-about charging Zwonitzer with obstruction of justice as a result of the ghostwriter destroyed recordings of interviews he carried out with Biden as they labored on his second memoir.
Ultimately, Hur’s report states that Zwonitzer supplied “believable and harmless causes” for having finished so and subsequently cooperated with investigators.
Have enjoyable within the former president’s membership
A longtime fanatic of political custom, Biden could nicely embrace becoming a member of the previous presidents’ membership. Former commanders in chief sometimes pose for images and pat one another on the again as they wander round historic occasions and sit collectively at VIP funerals.
In the Presidents’ Club, Jimmy Carter was the odd man out
Former presidents generally undertake particular tasks collectively comparable to selling vaccines in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic or elevating funds after pure disasters. They not often criticize one another and have a tendency to say even much less harsh phrases in regards to the present occupants of the White House.
This will probably be a possibility for Biden to distinguish himself once more from Trump, who confirmed little curiosity in spending time with former presidents after shedding his reelection bid in 2020. This was just like the best way he prevented the standard post-presidency efforts, comparable to engaged on constructing a presidential library, whereas as a substitute specializing in his 2024 marketing campaign.
Biden has already convened one thing of a membership of former presidents whereas nonetheless in workplace: He ready for his State of the Union handle final March by holding a video call with actors who had previously played presidents.
Morgan Freeman, Tony Goldwyn, Geena Davis and Michael Douglas supplied recommendation and encouragement, as did Bill Pullman, who performed President Thomas J. Whitmore in “Independence Day.” Pullman capitalized on Biden’s ever-present optimism in his public feedback to foretell: “People, after they take a look at all the pieces you’ve got completed, they are going to bear in mind it. Time will all the time bear in mind your phrases.”
Try your hand at present enterprise?
Speaking of celebrities, Biden floated the concept of extra lavish post-presidential actions.
In August, a couple of month after he halted his reelection marketing campaign, Biden joked at an event for online content creators: “That’s why I invited you to the White House: as a result of I’m on the lookout for a job.”
When Jessica Alba helped rejoice Hispanic Heritage Month on the White House a couple of weeks later, Biden joked that he would possibly quickly want the star’s enterprise contacts to assist her get a job, saying, “Jessica, if I’m actually good , perhaps you will discover me a job?”
He supplied an analogous line at a December occasion for Kennedy Center honorees, telling Robert De Niro, “If I get in bother, I’m coming to you, man.”
“I’m on the lookout for a job in February,” Biden mentioned, laughing. “Maybe you may have one thing for me? A Biden-De Niro pairing? I am unable to sing, I am unable to act, I am unable to dance, I am unable to do something, however I might assist you.
