(WASHINGTON) — Former President Joe Biden will deliver one of his first public speeches since leaving office 85 days ago, expected to speak about safeguarding Social Security amid Republicans’ current threats to it at a conference in Chicago on Tuesday.
Biden re-enters the public stage after keeping a relatively low profile in the time since he left office. After he gives the keynote speech at the gathering of the Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled, Biden will have been seen now a handful of times in recent weeks — emerging even while President Donald Trump continuously blames his predecessor for a range of issues.
Trump has blamed Biden for everything from rising egg prices (during his address to a joint session of Congress in March, claiming “Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control”) to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Trump notably called Biden a “stupid president” during his contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in March and refers to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “Biden’s war.”
ACRD is billing Biden’s remarks as the first of his post-presidency, though the 82-year-old is known to have given remarks at two recent events, though less publicized. He spoke at an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers event in Washington last week when he became an honorary member of the union. In March, he spoke at the Model United Nations conference in New York.
“We are deeply honored President Biden is making his first public appearance at ACRD’s sold-out conference,” said Rachel Buck, ACRD Executive Director. “As bipartisan leaders have long agreed, Americans who retire after paying into Social Security their whole lives deserve the vital support and caring services they receive. As a result, we are thrilled the President will be joining us to discuss how we can work together for a stable and successful future for Social Security.”
ACRD is convening its conference to bring together policymakers and advocates in a bipartisan effort to support Social Security, the organization claims, especially as operational and staffing issues caused by cuts by the current administration have impacted the older and disabled Americans who use Social Security income and insurance.
Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have slashed 7,000 Social Security Administration jobs over the past few months in their efforts to cut down the federal workforce as part of the new Department of Government Efficiency, moves that Democrats have vigorously rallied against.
Biden’s speech comes as Democratic congressional leaders are billing Tuesday as a ‘Day of Action’ focused on Social Security.
“Across the country, Democrats are leading the fight to oppose the Republican plan to gut Social Security. Our Save Social Security Day of Action will mobilize Americans from every corner of the United States to push back on Donald Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE’s cuts to Social Security,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement.
“Republicans want to slash this critical lifeline by making it harder for seniors and people with disabilities to access their earned benefits. Shutting down local offices, firing large numbers of experienced constituent service workers and cutting phone services makes it harder for people to get their checks. Republicans are trying to kill Social Security from the inside — it is a cut by another name — and we won’t let that happen.”
Biden will be joined in Chicago by former Maryland Gov. and Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley and the organization’s co-chairs — former Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow and former Republican Sen. Roy Blunt.
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