Former President Joe Biden broke months of silence Tuesday with a fiery return to the spotlight, using his first public remarks since leaving office to defend Social Security and take aim at what he called dangerous policies from the current Trump administration. Speaking in Chicago at the Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) conference, Biden delivered a speech laced with passion, humor, and sharp rebuke.
Now 82, Biden has largely stayed out of public view since stepping down in January. But his return was anything but quiet. Though he avoided naming Trump directly, Biden’s message was clear — the Social Security Administration, he warned, is under attack, and the country is suffering under a government bent on dismantling progress.
“We can’t go on like this — as a divided nation,” Biden said to loud applause. “We’re better than that.”
The former president praised Social Security as a “sacred promise” that must be protected, not gutted. He highlighted the achievements of his own administration in reducing fraud within the system and delivering on that promise for seniors and the disabled.
“Social Security isn’t a handout,” he said. “It’s a commitment. A commitment that if you work hard, you’ll be treated with dignity when you retire.”
He didn’t shy away from mocking the more outrageous claims made by the current administration, specifically a theory circulated by Elon Musk, now Trump’s cost-cutting czar, suggesting that people over 300 years old were collecting benefits.
“By the way, those 300-year-old folk getting that Social Security — I want to meet them,” Biden quipped. “Hell of a thing, man. I’m looking for longevity.”
But the tone quickly turned serious as Biden slammed what he described as intentional damage inflicted on the Social Security Administration. Without naming names, he accused high-level officials of gross indifference toward Americans relying on the program, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who reportedly said his mother-in-law wouldn’t mind missing a Social Security payment.
“Who the hell do they think they are?” Biden asked, visibly frustrated. “Tell that to a grandmother choosing between medication and food.”
Though his speech steered clear of discussing his abrupt exit from the 2024 race, Biden’s reappearance could not have come at a more pivotal moment for Democrats. The party has struggled to regroup following Trump’s return to office. The ACRD conference provided an ideal setting for Biden’s message, with a receptive audience and a focus on disability advocacy, one of the pillars of his administration’s social safety net efforts.
Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, who served as Biden’s Social Security Commissioner, introduced the former president, praising his commitment to fairness and equity. “We are honored President Biden has selected the 2025 ACRD Conference to address the nation,” O’Malley said. “There is widespread concern that the progress recently made for Social Security will be tragically reversed.”
Democratic leadership is already in motion, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries leading a multi-day initiative to highlight what he calls a Republican-led assault on Social Security. Speaking earlier that same day, Jeffries didn’t hold back in his condemnation of Trump, Musk, and GOP lawmakers.
“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and House Republicans think Social Security is a Ponzi scheme,” Jeffries said. “It is unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American.”
Jeffries accused the administration of shuttering Social Security offices, increasing wait times, and putting up barriers for Americans trying to access the benefits they’ve earned. Biden echoed many of those concerns, emphasizing that the program’s very integrity is at stake.
“The new administration has done so much damage,” Biden said. “They treat Social Security like it’s some failed investment fund. But for millions of Americans, it’s the only thing standing between them and poverty.”
While Biden avoided addressing his political future, some observers speculate that this speech may signal a new role for him — as a vocal defender of the social safety net and a counterweight to Trump’s policies.
“This wasn’t just about Social Security,” one Democratic strategist said privately. “This was Biden reasserting himself as the conscience of the party.”
Despite staying away from electoral politics during his speech, Biden’s words carried unmistakable political weight. His legacy is intertwined with programs like Social Security and Medicare, and he has long framed their protection as a moral obligation. On Tuesday, that passion was on full display.
“We didn’t have a lot when I was growing up, but we had each other,” he said. “Social Security is about keeping that promise — that if you work hard and do your part, your country won’t turn its back on you.”
As he wrapped up, Biden’s voice grew even more determined.
“If we let them tear this down, we lose more than a program — we lose who we are as Americans,” he said. “And I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit by and let that happen.”
With that, Biden left the stage to a standing ovation — a moment that, for many in attendance, felt less like a farewell and more like a new beginning.
