Joe Biden Slams Trump's Domestic Policies in First Post-Presidency Speech

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - After leaving his position as the U.S. president, Joe Biden did not appear in public and had not made any comments about Trump’s policies.

However, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Joe Biden finally appeared at the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) event and delivered a speech for the first time since retiring. 

Former Maryland Governor from the Democratic Party, Martin O'Malley introduced Biden at the event. He mentioned that the former president had been waiting for exactly (almost) 100 days to deliver his first major speech, Politico reported.

Former Senator Debbie Stabenow from the Democratic Party, who was also present, said that it was very important for Biden to speak about what was happening in Washington, even when some members of the Democratic Party were still unhappy with Biden campaigning as he did last year.

What Did Joe Biden Say?

In his first major speech since leaving office, former U.S. President Joe Biden defended the pension benefits, which he believed were threatened by the massive administrative reforms carried out by President Donald Trump. In his speech, however, Biden never mentioned Donald Trump by name.

Speaking before disabled activists in Chicago, Biden said that the federal workforce reductions by the Trump administration, spearheaded by billionaire ally Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had caused "breathtaking" destruction.

Biden slammed the new administration, which, in less than 100 days, had caused so much damage and destruction. "It’s kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon," Biden said, as quoted by Al Jazeera. According to Biden, in reference to the national agency that pays pension benefits and disability groups, the Trump administration had taken a hatchet to Social Security, pushing 7,000 employees out the door.

Axios reported that the former president told the disabled supporters present in the room that he left a Social Security Administration that was fully managed and dedicated to customer service but accused the Trump administration of "wreck[ing] it so they can rob it."

Meanwhile, Social Security recipients complained of long wait times for calls, and the agency's benefit portal experienced increased outages.“People can’t sign on to their accounts,” Biden said in his address. “Who in the hell do they think they are?” he said of the Trump administration.

What is the Democratic Party's Response?

Joe Biden's speech received a divided response from Democratic Party politicians. Some Democratic Party members felt apprehensive about Biden's speech, stating that it might be better for him not to re-enter the political arena.

Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist, said that many Democratic Party members were concerned that Biden's appearance would divert attention from the political and economic impacts caused by Trump's trade war with China and tariffs imposed on other countries.

According to Finney, they began to see “cracks” in Trump’s policy armor. "You don’t want to become a lightning rod that distracts from Trump. And it could make it easy for Trump to change the subject to Biden," she said.

Presidential historian Timothy Naftali said it was important for Biden to speak out about Social Security, especially due to his age. "A very important part of the Democratic base remains older people on Social Security, and Joe Biden has always been their champion," Naftali said.

Earlier that day, David Hogg, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, described Biden's return to the public eye as a natural step taken by a former president who wanted to share their expertise. “He’s not gonna stop being involved. He is a workhorse and he wants to get things done and he wants to help with the party,” Hogg said.

White House Response?

According to the Social Security Administration in a post on X, the former president was "lying" about the agency's reform efforts.

SSA, established in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, pays $1.4 trillion in benefits to 73 million elderly and disabled U.S. citizens each year. During Trump's election campaign, he repeatedly promised not to cut these benefits.

Two former government officials viewed Biden's speech as a signal that the former U.S. president still wanted to be involved. Biden is expected to pick and choose specific issues, such as Social Security, that are very important to him, these officials said.

However, Biden left office with plummeting approval ratings, and many Democratic Party members blamed their party's defeat in November on him staying in the presidential race for too long.

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