Joe Biden told an audience in San Diego on Wednesday that European leaders are encouraging him to reengage with international affairs amid concerns over President Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach.
Speaking at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference, Biden delivered remarks that focused on his legacy, with multiple references to NATO and his past administration’s efforts to expand U.S. influence overseas.
Biden, who served as president from 2021 to 2025, did not mention President Trump by name but made several indirect criticisms of Trump’s policies, particularly in relation to the NATO alliance.
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“We strengthened NATO in a significant way,” Biden told the crowd.
He went on to say that “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.”
Biden says he’s ‘GETTING CALLS’ from Europe asking him to ‘get engaged’
‘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,’ Biden said during a rare public appearance
‘I’m not, BUT I’M GIVING ADVICE’ pic.twitter.com/8UjsHcnnn6
— RT (@RT_com) July 4, 2025
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Biden said that while he is “not actively involved with NATO issues,” he is still offering “advice” to leaders who are navigating what he described as rapid policy changes under the Trump administration.
“Many of the things I worked so damn hard [on] that I thought I changed in the country are changing so rapidly,” Biden said, referring to what he characterized as reversals of his administration’s policies.
President Trump has consistently criticized NATO members for underfunding their own defense and relying heavily on the United States.
At last week’s NATO summit, Trump praised the alliance after member states agreed to increase defense spending, committing to a target of 5% of GDP over the next decade.
The agreement marks a significant shift from the previous 2% benchmark, and Trump called the $1 trillion pledge “a monumental win” for the U.S.
Biden, in his remarks, also revealed that he is working on a 500-page memoir. “I’ve been working like hell” to finish the book, he said.
In addition, Biden claimed he’s regularly contacted by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
“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 told attendees.
Biden questioned whether he should continue stepping back from politics, asking the crowd, “How can you just walk away?”
The former president has made limited public appearances since leaving office in January.
These have included events at Harvard, a Juneteenth celebration, Pope Francis’s funeral, and a speech in Chicago focused on Social Security.
Biden has faced criticism over transparency related to his health. In May, he disclosed that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones.
The revelation prompted backlash from Republican lawmakers, who raised concerns that the diagnosis may have been known for years but withheld from the public as Biden prepared for a potential 2024 rematch against Trump.
Biden denied the accusations, stating that he learned of the diagnosis in May.
Medical professionals expressed concern that the severity of the cancer suggested it had likely developed earlier in his term.
The timing has raised further scrutiny about how forthcoming Biden and his administration were during his time in office.
Concerns over Biden’s cognitive health also continue to draw attention. A 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur reignited questions about Biden’s mental acuity, an issue that critics say plagued him throughout his term.
A recent book co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson has added to the debate, detailing internal efforts by Biden’s aides to manage public appearances and control access to the then-president amid signs of cognitive decline.
At President Trump’s direction, Republican-led congressional committees are investigating whether Biden and his staff concealed his condition from the public.
Lawmakers are also looking into reports that the former president’s aides used his autopen to sign executive actions, potentially violating federal law.
The inquiries remain ongoing as the former president continues to make sporadic public appearances and engage in select political discussions.
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