As he prepares to exit the White House, President Biden is doing so with minimal ceremony. Democrats are eager to move forward after a challenging year that culminated in another loss to President-elect Trump, who has dominated the media narrative even before officially taking office for a second term.
Since the election, Biden has undertaken several international trips. He has also issued a pardon for his son, worked on achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, increased support for Ukraine, and engaged in holiday events while delivering speeches in and around Washington.
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Just before Christmas, he made headlines by commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row. Despite these actions, the president’s visibility has been overshadowed by Trump’s flurry of announcements regarding his new Cabinet, a high-profile television interview, and a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
In addition to Trump’s media presence, he and his allies have inserted themselves into challenging government funding discussions at the year’s end, during which Biden and his administration remained largely absent.
Instead, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) took the lead in addressing these issues. Republicans assert that Biden’s retreat from the public eye is typical, especially given his tendency to avoid press interactions whenever possible.
“It’s as if he’s been hidden away for an extended period. When he traveled to Africa, he didn’t take any visible questions and was mostly shielded from reporters. As he heads to Italy, we expect similar media access limitations,” said GOP strategist Doug Heye.
Democrats, too, have shown little enthusiasm in supporting their party leader, expressing a readiness for Biden to depart even if they’re not pleased with the individual who will follow him.
“There’s a palpable sense of disappointment regarding how this presidency is concluding. It feels almost like a resignation at this stage,” commented a Democratic lobbyist. “While no one is eager for Donald Trump to return, there’s a collective sense that we’re prepared for the Biden administration to come to an end.”
Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Obama, noted that Trump’s recent press conference reinforced the perception of Biden’s absence from the public discourse. At the same time, Biden was delivering a speech at the Labor Department while Trump announced a serious investment from SoftBank worth $100 billion.
“This was a typical presidential policy announcement, except for one key detail: Trump isn’t president yet. Yet, it’s becoming increasingly easy to overlook that fact as Biden seems to be fading from public view as his presidency concludes,” Favreau remarked on his podcast “Pod Save America.”
Favreau and his co-hosts pointed out Trump’s participation in the Army-Navy game earlier in December, emphasizing that Biden had never attended such an event. Trump has once again positioned himself in the media spotlight, partly due to the high-profile figures accompanying him, including his contentious nominee for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth.
Some Democrats have expressed indifference regarding Trump overshadowing Biden in these final weeks, suggesting that his actions appear more controlled than during his previous presidential campaign eight years ago.
However, others recall how Obama captured media attention in 2008 while George W. Bush was departing the White House. One longtime Democratic donor and bundler described Trump’s behavior before officially taking office as more a “media issue” than a genuine concern.
“I haven’t observed much that he has done that’s objectionable. He’s attracting investment in the United States, which is beneficial. He’s also engaging with international leaders.
It’s common for candidates to discuss matters with foreign leaders after an election. I suspect the in-person conversations aren’t too different from those held over the phone,” the source stated. “If he were to act inappropriately, that would raise concerns, but he seems to be exhibiting more restraint than he did eight years ago.”
Democratic supporters express dissatisfaction with Biden’s remaining time in office. “There’s a sense that many, including likely several within the White House, are just ready for this to end. While the administration has achieved a great deal, the primary goal was winning, and we didn’t succeed,” lamented a longtime Democratic donor and bundler.
Behind the scenes, the White House continues to work diligently on two major international issues: increasing support for Ukraine and striving for a ceasefire agreement to halt the conflict in Gaza.
However, Trump continues to capture more media attention through his meetings with global leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during which he joked about making Canada the 51st state after previously threatening tariffs.
Adam Abrams, a communications officer from the Obama White House, posited that Biden still has the opportunity to seize attention during these final days of his presidency and shape his legacy on his terms if he chooses to leverage his position effectively.
“President Biden can and should utilize the bully pulpit to establish his historical legacy, highlighting his achievements, the consistency of his values, and the breadth of his accomplishments. As the sitting president, he doesn’t need to vie for the media’s or public’s attention — he can command it,” said Abrams, who is a partner at Seven Letter.
“While the excitement around the Trump transition and the year-end funding negotiations on Capitol Hill continues, President Biden is actively reinforcing his record during this final stretch to advance his core priorities,” Abrams added.
Biden has managed to capture some attention, although not necessarily in a favorable light. He sparked another controversy among Democrats by announcing a pardon for his son Hunter Biden after previously insisting he would not do so.
This decision left many Democrats feeling “disgusted” and “totally” frustrated with Biden’s administration, sources revealed to The Hill. Compounding this, many Democrats felt that Biden should have refrained from seeking reelection or should have exited the 2024 race sooner; Vice President Harris would have only about 100 days to campaign against Trump before facing a likely defeat.
The year has been particularly disappointing for Democrats, who faced losses at the presidential level, in the Senate, and failed to gain control of the House. Ivan Zapien, a former official at the Democratic National Committee, characterized the end-of-year sentiment as being less focused on Biden and more about a broader sense of disappointment within the party.
“Experiencing loss is never enjoyable, and it’s evident that this sentiment is resonating across the Democratic spectrum,” Zapien noted. “I wouldn’t label it as Biden fatigue; it’s more of a ‘well, that was unfortunate; let’s regroup for the next one’ mindset.”
