Former President Joe Biden has claimed European leaders are still seeking his advice after leaving the White House and that some of his political victories are now “changing so rapidly.”
The 82-year-old delivered a one-hour key note speech at the Society for Human Resource Management in San Diego on Wednesday. He disclosed he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May.
Talking to around 20,000 HR professionals, Biden admitted he remains engaged in global politics and still regularly talks to both Democratic and Republican leaders.
“How can you just walk away?” the former president noted, but said he generally remains active behind the scenes. “You don’t see me out there publicly doing a lot of this.”
Biden added, “I stayed engaged because I really cared about what I was doing. Many things I worked so damn hard (on), that I thought changed the country, are changing so rapidly.”
During his speech, Biden never mentioned President Trump by name, and made no reference to his controversial “big beautiful bill.”
The former president did raise the topic of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which provides collective defense to 32 countries from North America and Europe. Biden said during his presidency NATO had been “expanded” and “strengthened in a significant way” and that it was in “shambles” when he entered the White House.
He then revealed, “I’m getting calls—I’m not going to go into it, I can’t—from a number of European leaders asking me to get engaged. I’m not, but I’m giving advice. Because things are different.”
Biden then told the audience, “I often ask the question, if America doesn’t lead the world, who can? Not a joke. Who could put it together? Mistakes, today, have significantly greater consequences than they did 50 years ago.”
In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “Absolutely no one is calling Joe Biden for advice because his disastrous foreign policy left America weaker than ever before. Thanks to President Trump, NATO allies have made a historic five percent defense spending pledge, Iran’s nuclear capabilities are obliterated, and our country’s standing on the world stage is restored.”
Trump has often spoken about his influence on NATO, claiming in 2019 that world leaders have “deep respect” for him.
He attended the NATO summit in the Netherlands last month, where member nations agreed to lift defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP over 10 years, with Trump calling it a “big win” for America.
The president had threatened the future of the NATO alliance if the extra funding was not forthcoming. “They said, ‘You did it, sir, you did it sir.’ Well, I don’t know if I did it, but I think I did,” Trump said.
Posts on X showed Biden flying coach to the San Diego event, with Secret Service officers in tow.
🚨 NEW: President Biden was spotted flying coach to San Diego ahead of his #SHRM25 keynote tomorrow. ✈️He’ll speak on leadership, workforce transformation, and the future of work — continuing his focus on jobs, workers, and the changing workplace.”SHRM is honored to welcome… pic.twitter.com/v05aHBApAf
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) July 1, 2025
Biden also revealed he is writing another memoir, this one a 500-page tome based on his most recent stint in office.
“Every president is expected to write a memoir,” Biden said. “It’s not a criticism, it’s an observation, most take between three and six years to get it done.”
He added, “They want me to just focus on the four years and talk about what happened and how it impacted on the world… (or) if it did.”
The former president was headed to Los Angeles after his speech to meet his first great-grandson and said he was enjoying the luxury of more family time after leaving the White House.
“I have the advantage of being able to engage in their lives, help where I can,” Biden said. “Every single day I contact every single one of my grandchildren.”
When asked what he would like to be remembered for, Biden said, “Being a good father.”
The post Joe Biden Says World Leaders Are Asking Him for Advice in New Trump Era appeared first on The Daily Beast.
