Joe Biden May Soon Announce His 2020 Running Mate
Joe Biden may have left the White House in 2017, but he's not ready to bid a permanent farewell to Pennsylvania Avenue just yet. The former vice president is one of many current contenders for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election, and while he's spending most of his time on the campaign trail these days, he's been keeping plenty busy since the last administration ended.
Here's what Joe Biden has been up to:
He has been spending time with family
On June 9, 2019, Biden's granddaughter Maisy, the daughter of his son Hunter, graduated from Sidwell Friends—the exclusive D.C. private school that she attended with her close friend Sasha Obama. Along with Obamas, Biden and his wife Jill attended the ceremony to celebrate their accomplishment.
A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Jun 9, 2019 at 1:21pm PDT
"Maisy, you make us so proud and we can’t wait to see what you do next with your talent, smarts, dedication and kindness," he wrote in the caption to an Instagram post with Maisy and Jill. "The future is yours, and Nana and Pop will always be right behind you."
In addition to the ceremony, Biden took some time away from the campaign trail for a joint-graduation party for Maisy and Sasha with the Obamas, and a celebration of the birthday of the Bidens youngest daughter, Ashley. Though some criticized his decision to remove himself from campaigning for the day (he missed an event for the Iowa Democratic Hall of Fame, at which more than a dozen other candidates spoke) Biden responded simply, saying, "My granddaughter was graduating. It was my daughter's birthday. I would skip inauguration for that."
The Bidens also welcomed a new furry family member in 2018, a rescue dog named Major. He makes the second German Shepherd in the Biden household, along with their beloved pet Champ.
A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Dec 19, 2018 at 9:24am PST
He wrote another book
Since leaving the White House, Biden made a return to writing (his 2008 book Promise to Keep was a bestseller.) In 2017, Biden's book Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose, about the year his son Beau died of brain cancer, debuted as a New York Times bestseller in the #1 slot.
The memoir, which takes its name from a conversation Biden had with his son Beau, chronicles the former VP's experiences losing a child, his decision not to run for president in 2016, and what it was like for him to serve his country while also mourning his son.
"I have always been fortunate to have an incredible support system around me, and I understand how many people in this country go through far worse than I have, with far less support," Biden said in a statement when the book was announced.
"I hope my own story will strike a chord with other Americans who have walked the same path I have."
He started a nonprofit foundation
The project that was perhaps closest to the vice president's heart following his White House exit was the launch of the Biden Foundation in 2017, a nonprofit focused on a variety of issues Biden feels passionate about including supporting military families, ending violence against women, and finding a cure for cancer.
"I'm more optimistic than I've ever been since I've been in public life," Biden said in the organization's launch video. "As long as we have a breath in this, we're going to be working on it."
In its first year, the foundation reported raising $6.6 million; however, the operations of the foundation, in which both Biden and Jill are heavily involved in the day-to-day of, have been suspended as they focus on Biden's presidential campaign.
“The Vice President and Dr. Biden are the heart and soul of the foundation and now will be devoting all their time and effort to the presidential campaign,” Ted Kaufman, a former aide to Biden and chairman of the Biden Foundation’s board, said in a statement shortly after Biden announced his candidacy. He explained, “We are immediately suspending foundation activities. In the coming days, the board will put together a plan for an orderly wind-down of all of the foundation’s work.”
He has been keeping things collegiate
In early 2017, the former vice president announced that he would be taking a position with the University of Pennsylvania as a professor and leading the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, a new center based in D.C. to focus on "diplomacy, foreign policy, and national security." The center officially opened in February of 2018.
"The Penn Biden Center and I will be engaging with Penn's wonderful students while partnering with its eminent faculty and global centers to convene world leaders, develop and advance smart policy, and impact the national debate about how America can continue to lead in the 21st Century," Biden said in a statement.
Like his work with the Biden Foundation, his position at Penn will be on hiatus for the duration of his presidential campaign.
"Now that he is officially a candidate, Vice President Biden, who serves as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor, will be taking an unpaid leave of absence from his work at the Penn Biden Center," the university said in a statement posted to their website. "The Penn Biden Center provides Penn with a highly visible and important presence in Washington, DC. It will continue to function as an integral component of the University’s global strategy to bring the world to Penn and Penn to the world."
Biden Center director of communications Carlyn Reichel added, to The Daily Pennsylvanian, "We will remain active in shaping the debate around important foreign policy issues and fostering a new generation of leaders."
In 2017 Biden also became a founding chair for the Biden Institute at his alma mater, University of Delaware. At the time, the institute was described as "a new research and policy center focused on developing public policy solutions on issues ranging from economic reform and environmental sustainability to civil rights, criminal justice, women's rights and more." The college has also honored its famous alumnus in another way—by renaming its school of public policy the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration in December of 2018.
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