Biden: Some European leaders ‘asking me to get engaged'

The Hill

12 hours ago

Former President Biden claimed during an event in San Diego this week that world leaders and U.S. lawmakers have urged him to stay involved in politics and have sought his advice since he left the White House in January.
'I'm getting calls — I'm not going to get into it, I can't — from a number of European leaders asking me to get engaged,' Biden said while addressing the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) gathering on Wednesday. 'I'm not, but I'm giving advice.'
'I'm also dealing with a lot of Democrats and Republican colleagues calling me, wanting to talk — not because they think I have the answer, just to bounce things off (me),' he added.
He didn't reveal the specific topics he has been consulted about.
Biden told the San Diego crowd this week that he is not initiating the discussions with current leaders or seeking the spotlight, but others are seeking him out as they adjust to Trump's second presidency.
'How can you just walk away?' Biden asked.
'You don't see me out there publicly doing a lot of this,' he added, joking that the California location of the conference address made it easier to visit his great-grandson in Los Angeles. Biden's eldest granddaughter, Naomi, had the baby in January.
Biden also revealed to the crowd that he has been 'working like hell' to write a new memoir documenting his presidency and enjoying time in his 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Biden, 82, ended his reelection campaign against President Trump a year ago, after facing mounting pressure from Democrats over his disastrous televised debate with Trump weeks earlier and questions about his ability to serve another term.
The book 'Original Sin' from reporters Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios offered additional insight into concerns that emerged about Biden's health and mental fitness near the end of his term. Biden, who revealed in May that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, has denied depictions in the book, and he has maintained he would have been able to serve another term.
House Republicans are investigating Biden's mental fitness while in office and have sought testimony from multiple people who were top aides during his presidency.