Key facts about former President Joe Biden: What to know
Joe Biden served as the 46th president of the United States. Prior to his presidency, he served in the U.S. Senate and as vice president in former President Barack Obama’s administration. During his own presidency, the Biden-Harris administration prioritized issues such as climate change, Medicaid, infrastructure and LGBTQ+ initiatives.
During the 2024 campaign cycle, Biden ran as the original Democratic nominee. Following his first presidential debate with Donald Trump, Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed his vice president at the time, Kamala Harris, for president. Harris lost the election, with many voters voicing concerns over immigration, border security and the economy as reasons for casting their votes for the Republican presidential candidate, President Donald Trump.
After leaving office, Biden has largely kept to himself but has remained a topic of conversation in politics, mainly regarding his health, which was questioned throughout his presidency. Investigations and allegations of a cover-up regarding the truth of Biden’s physical and mental well-being during his time in the White House have been brought forward.
Biden’s family has also been in the spotlight over the years, facing both tragedy and controversy. He lost his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and his daughter, Naomi Biden, in a car accident in 1972. He later married Jill Biden in 1977. In 2015, his son Beau Biden died after a battle with brain cancer.
Biden’s other son, Hunter Biden, has faced personal battles with addiction over the years and has been at the center of numerous legal investigations, including over the contents of his laptop. Before leaving office, Biden pardoned Hunter for crimes he "has committed or may have committed.”
