Joe Biden Biography

Joe Biden briefly practiced law before entering politics. He rose to become Delaware’s longest-serving senator and the sixth-youngest U.S. senator in history. However, Democratic contender Barack Obama chose him as his running mate, and Biden went on to serve two terms as the 47th vice president of the United States despite the fact that his 2008 presidential campaign never got traction. At the end of his presidency in 2017, Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Biden started his presidential campaign two years later and won the election to become the 46th leader of the free world. He is now seeking reelection in 2024.

Joe Biden Early Life

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., born on November 20, 1942, grew up in the working-class northeastern Pennsylvania city of Scranton before ascending to one of the highest political positions in the country. Joseph Biden Sr. worked as a used car salesperson and furnace cleaner. Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan was his mother.

Biden attributes his toughness, hard work ethic, and perseverance to his parents. He constantly recalled hearing his father tell him, “Champ, the measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up.” He’s also said that when he would return home grumpy after being tormented by one of the neighborhood’s bigger kids, his mother would tell him, “Bloody their nose so you can walk down the street the next day!”

In Scranton, Biden attended St. Paul’s Elementary School. He moved with his family to Mayfield, Delaware when he was 13 years old. Mayfield is a rapidly expanding middle-class neighborhood supported mostly by the nearby DuPont chemical business.

Biden struggled with a stutter as a child, and other kids teased him by calling him “Dash” and “Joe Impedimenta”. He eventually learned to speak clearly after memorizing lengthy poems and practicing speaking them aloud in front of a mirror.

Prior to being admitted to the esteemed Archmere Academy, Biden attended the St. Helena School. Biden had long desired to attend the school, which he referred to as “the object of my deepest desire, my Oz,” despite the fact that he had to labor to help his family pay for tuition by cleaning the school’s windows and cultivating the gardens. Biden was a good student at Archmere and an outstanding football receiver despite his diminutive frame. His coach recalled, “He was a small child, but he was one of the best pass receivers I had in 16 years of coaching. In 1961, Biden earned his degree from Archmere.

Joe Biden College, Marriage, and Law School

Biden attended the close-by University of Delaware, where he played football, studied history and political science. He would subsequently acknowledge that throughout his first two years of college, football, girls, and parties held much more of his attention than academics did. But during this time, he also showed a keen interest in politics, maybe sparked in part by the motivational inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.

Biden met Syracuse University student Neilia Hunter during on a spring break trip to the Bahamas during his junior year and, in his own words, “fell ass over tin cup in love—at first sight.” He was inspired by his new love to put more effort into his academics, and after graduating from Delaware in 1965, he was admitted to the Syracuse University Law School. Hunter and Biden got hitched the next year, in 1966.

At best, Biden was an average law student. He failed a class in his first year at Syracuse because he failed to correctly quote a passage from a law review article. Even though he insisted it was a mistake, the episode would haunt him later in his professional life.

Joe Biden Early Political Career

Biden relocated to Wilmington, Delaware, to start working at a legal firm in 1968 after earning his law degree. In 1970, he was elected to the New Castle County Council and also became an active member of the Democratic Party. In 1971, while still a councillor, Biden established his own legal practice.

Biden had three children, Joseph “Beau,” Robert “Hunter,” and Naomi “Amy,” in addition to his increasingly demanding work life. Joseph “Beau” was born in 1969; Hunter was born in 1970; and Amy was born in 1971. Then, according to Biden, “everything was happening faster than I expected.”

The Delaware Democratic Party recruited a 29-year-old Joe Biden to challenge the well-liked J. Caleb Boggs for the U.S. Senate in 1972. Even though few people gave Biden any hope, he launched a diligent campaign that was primarily run by family members. His sister Valerie Biden Owens managed his campaign, and both of his parents were out there every day. Biden won an unexpected victory in a close election that November, becoming the sixth-youngest senator to be elected in the history of the United States.

Joe Biden Family Tragedy

Biden was tragically affected just as all of his fondest aspirations appeared to be coming reality. In 1972, a week before Christmas, Biden’s wife and three kids were hurt in a tragic vehicle accident while going tree-shopping. His wife and daughter were killed in the collision, while his sons Beau and Hunter were seriously hurt. Inconsolable and contemplating suicide, Biden was distraught. In his memory, he says, “I started to see how desperation caused people to just cash in; how suicide wasn’t just a choice, it was a reasonable choice… I was enraged because I thought God had pulled a cruel prank on me.

Biden nevertheless made the decision to uphold his promise to serve the people of Delaware in the Senate after receiving encouragement from his family. He took the oath of office from his sons’ hospital room rather than participating in the Washington, D.C., swearing-in event for new senators. Biden made the decision to stay in Wilmington and commute daily to and from Washington by Amtrak train, a habit he kept during his lengthy career in the Senate, in order to spend as much time as possible with his sons.

Joe Biden Senate Years

Biden spent a successful career in the Senate from 1973 to 2009. Biden established himself as one of the Senate’s foremost authorities on international policy during his term in office, leading the Committee on international Relations for numerous years. His numerous foreign policy opinions included supporting the First Gulf War, expanding NATO to include countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, encouraging peace and stability in the Balkans, and calling for the restriction of strategic armaments with the Soviet Union. Later on, he advocated for American intervention to stop the Darfur massacre and spoke out against President George W. Bush’s conduct of the Iraq War, especially against the 2007 military surge.

Biden was a vocal supporter of stricter criminal justice regulations in addition to foreign policy. The fact that Supreme Court candidate Robert Bork was not confirmed in 1987 was primarily a result of Biden’s tough questioning at the time that he served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden sponsored the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act in 1994, which increased penalties for a number of crimes and added 100,000 police officers to the force.

Joe Biden Presidential Ambitions

After becoming one of the most well-known Democratic politicians in Washington, Biden made the decision to run for president of the United States in 1987. However, he withdrew from the Democratic primary after it was discovered that he had copied a portion of a speech.

Biden had been experiencing excruciating headaches throughout the campaign, and soon after he resigned in 1988, medical professionals found that he had two potentially fatal brain aneurysms. Blood clots developed in his lungs as a result of complications from the subsequent brain surgery, which necessitated another surgery. Biden, who is known for his tenacity, returned to the Senate after a seven-month recuperation period.

Joe Biden U.S. Vice President

Biden chose to run for president of the United States again in 2007, 20 years after his first failed attempt. Despite his extensive Senate experience, however, Biden’s campaign struggled to get traction against fellow senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. After getting fewer than 1% of the vote in the significant Iowa caucuses, Biden withdrew.

But a few months later, after a tough battle against Clinton, Obama won the Democratic nomination and chose Biden to be his running mate. Because of his working-class background, Biden was able to effectively convey the Obama campaign’s message of economic recovery to the blue-collar voters who are so important in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.

On November 2, 2008, the Democratic ticket of Senator John McCain of Arizona and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska were soundly beaten by Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009, while Biden was named the 47th vice president.

Although Biden primarily supported the president in the background as an adviser, he was particularly involved in shaping federal strategies for Afghanistan and Iraq. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation was passed in 2010 with the vice president’s assistance thanks to his well-established connections in the Senate.

The chance to play a significant role in the Obama Administration seemed to excite Biden. After the 2008 presidential election, he declared: “This is a historic occasion. I began my career as a civil rights activist, so the opportunity to be a part of a historical moment where the best thinkers, doers, and—dare I say it—single best representation of the American people can be called upon—to be there with a man who has such incredible talent and who is also a groundbreaking figure in many ways—I genuinely find that exciting. America has changed. It reflects a modernized America.

Joe Biden Reelection and Second Term

The Obama-Biden ticket ran for reelection in 2012 against Republican rival Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, and Romney’s vice presidential running mate, U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Romney lost to Obama in the 2012 election, giving the incumbent president a second term and Vice President Biden a third. Obama won the popular vote by more than a million votes and received about 60 percent of the electoral votes.

Later that year, Biden demonstrated his potential as a powerful vice president. In order to avoid the fiscal cliff catastrophe, he played a crucial role in securing a bipartisan compromise on tax hikes and spending reductions. Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were able to reach an agreement because of an approaching deadline. After months of difficult talks, the fiscal cliff bill was approved by the Senate on January 1, 2013. Later on same day, it was adopted by the House of Representatives.

Around this period, Biden also rose to prominence in the country’s discussion over gun control. In the wake of the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, he was chosen to lead a special task force on the subject. In January 2013, Biden sent Obama recommendations for lowering gun violence across the country. He collaborated on the creation of 19 proposals for the president to use in addressing the issue through the use of executive orders.

Joe Biden Personal Life and Post-Vice Presidency

Since 1977, Biden has been wed to Jill Biden, his second wife. Ashley, the couple’s daughter, was conceived in 1981. Biden had yet another personal loss on May 30, 2015, when his son Beau passed away at the age of 46 following a battle with brain cancer. In a statement on his son, Biden said, “Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.”

After this tragedy, Biden thought about running for president, but he put the rumors to rest in October 2015 by declaring that he will not run for the Democratic candidacy in 2016. As Biden made his announcement in the White House Rose Garden with his wife, Jill, and President Obama by his side, he cited the recent death of his son in his reasoning: “As my family and I have worked through the grieving process, I’ve said all along what I’ve said time and time again to others, that it may very well be that the process by the time we get through it closes the window. It has closed, I believe.

While I won’t be a candidate, Biden continued, “I won’t stay silent. I want to have as much of an impact as I can on where our party stands and where the country needs to go by speaking out loudly and clearly.

In a surprise event at the White House on January 12, 2017, Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the country’s highest civilian honor. Obama referred to Biden as “the best vice president America’s ever had” and a “lion of American history” and told him he was being recognized for his “faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country, and a lifetime of service that will endure through the generations.” Biden thanked the president, Michelle Obama, his wife Jill, and his kids in an emotional, spontaneous speech.

As he had pledged, Biden continued to speak out long after he had left office. He occasionally seemed to criticize the 45th president, Donald Trump, who he was well known for opposing. During a speech in October 2017, he claimed that Trump “doesn’t understand governance,” and the following month, he attacked the president-elect for appearing to support white supremacist organizations.

Biden also periodically expressed his conflicted emotions over passing up the possibility to run for president in 2016. He stated in March 2017 that he “could have won,” then in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in November, he went into further detail. He stated that neither a woman nor a man should declare their candidacy for president until they are able to respond to two questions. “First, do they genuinely think they are the most suitable candidate at that time? I thought I was, but was I really prepared to be able to give the project my all-out heart, soul, and intention? And I was aware I wasn’t.

A few weeks later, during an appearance on the talk show The View, Biden engaged in a highly publicized exchange with co-host Meghan McCain, whose father, Senator John McCain, had been given the same brain cancer diagnosis as Beau Biden. The VP kindly grasped Meghan McCain’s hand to comfort her when she got obviously emotional during the discussion of the cancer and mentioned how Senator McCain’s courage served as an example to everyone. He said, “There is hope. And your dad [can] make it if anyone can.

Although he had not yet fully recovered from the loss of his son, Biden acknowledged that he had not ruled out running for president in 2020 in an interview with Al Sharpton the following spring. He continued, “I’m really hoping that some other people step up. “I believe we have some excellent people… I have to leave with the knowledge that it is possible and that someone can succeed because we must succeed. We must triumph in 2020.

In a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted in June, Biden came out on top with 32% of respondents choosing him as their pick for the party’s candidacy in 2020, suggesting that Democrats weren’t quite ready to let him go just yet. Bernie Sanders placed third with a 16 percent vote share, followed by Hillary Clinton in second place with 18 percent.

The following March, when Biden was still debating a presidential bid, Lucy Flores, a former Nevada state assemblywoman, released an essay in which she claimed that Biden had improperly kissed her during a campaign event. In his statement in response, Biden recounted the “countless handshakes, embraces, demonstrations of warmth, support, and consolation” he had given to allies in politics over the years, adding, “And not once—never—did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is requested that I do this, I will do so politely. However, it was never my objective.

A few days later, Amy Lappos, a former congressional aide, revealed how Biden once made her feel uncomfortable at a fundraiser, signaling the problem would probably persist throughout a presidential campaign.

Joe Biden 2020 Presidential Campaign

Biden made the anticipated announcement that he would be running for president in 2020 on April 25, 2019.

The former vice president made reference to President Trump’s attempt to compare participants in the violent, racially charged riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, saying he was aware at the time that “the threat to our nation was unlike any I’d ever seen in my lifetime.”

Even while Biden handily topped most Democratic surveys when he entered the race, his campaign quickly turned into a litmus test for a party with a base that is becoming more and more radical. Biden received criticism for declaring his support for the Hyde Amendment, a 46-year-old law that prohibits federal funding for abortions, then quickly changing his mind. This incident highlights the difficulties Biden faces in projecting himself as a moderate.

Biden’s past was once again attacked by Kamala Harris during the first Democratic primary debate in late June when she criticized him for his opposition to busing as a strategy for school integration in the 1970s. He performed better in later rounds, showcasing his solid knowledge of foreign affairs and connecting his successes to those of President Obama.

The disclosure that President Trump had pushed the Ukrainian government to look into Biden and his son Hunter in September 2019 brought about a new problem. This resulted from Hunter’s prior association with the Ukrainian oil business Burisma Holdings and Biden’s attempts to have the nation’s current attorney general sacked.

In a speech on September 24, Biden referred to Trump’s actions as a “abuse of power” and stated that he would support impeachment if the president refused to work with Congress. At the same time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi started the impeachment process.

Biden was fourth in the Iowa caucuses and subsequently fifth in the New Hampshire primary after Trump’s impeachment trial ended with his acquittal on February 5, 2020. But near the end of the month, he bounced back with a convincing victory in South Carolina. He then maintained his momentum by winning the majority of the delegates from the Super Tuesday vote in early March. Most of his top rivals dropped out of the race as a result of his surge.

Biden pledged to nominate a woman to be his vice president during a one-on-one debate with Sanders in mid-March. When Sanders finished his campaign in early April, he became the presumed Democratic contender, but he also found himself dealing with fresh charges of sexual assault, this time from a former staffer called Tara Reade.

Biden named Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate on August 11, 2020. I’ve chosen Kamala Harris, a courageous champion of the underdog and one of the best public servants in the nation, to be my running partner, I have the tremendous honor to announce,” Biden added. “Kamala collaborated closely with Beau when she served as attorney general. I observed them taking on the powerful banks, supporting the underdog, and defending the rights of women and children. Both then and today, having her as a partner in this campaign makes me proud.

Biden was formally named the Democratic Party’s candidate for president in 2020 in August.

Joe Biden Presidential Debates With Trump

Biden and Trump’s much awaited first presidential debate on September 29, 2020, was a chaotic event with several interruptions and contentious conversations that soon veered off subject. Flustered, Biden referred to his opponent as a “clown,” but he also managed to criticize the president’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak and make clear his positions on climate change and law enforcement.

After Trump rejected to participate in a virtual debate that was set for October 15, town halls for both candidates were scheduled in its place.

During the third debate on October 22, when microphones were frequently muffled, Biden had fewer interruptions as he discussed his views on health care, immigration reform, and green jobs. Additionally, he criticized the president once more for his handling of the coronavirus and his practice of separating migrant children from their parents at the border, making it obvious that their approaches differ with the remark that “America’s character is on the ballot.”

Joe Biden 2020 Election Win

On November 3, 2020, some states continued to count mail-in ballots after polls closed because it was too close to call until the following day. With the announcement of his victories in Wisconsin and Michigan, together with news of his leads in Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia, the tide started to turn in Biden’s favor. In the meantime, Trump filed a number of lawsuits alleging voter fraud and attempting to stop the tallying in crucial states.

After winning Pennsylvania on November 6, 2020, Biden was announced as the 46th president-elect, four days after the election. The soon-to-be 78-year-old was on track to become the oldest president in the history of the country in addition to receiving a record 81 million or more votes.

Biden tweeted, “America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.” “The task ahead of us will be challenging, but I can assure you that, whether you supported me or not, I will serve as president for all Americans. I’ll continue to uphold your trust in me.

The official declaration of Biden’s victory against Trump in the 2020 presidential election came on December 14, 2020, when all 538 electors in the Electoral College cast their ballots. Trump received 232 votes, while Biden received 306 votes. Biden’s transition preparations were initially hindered by Emily Murphy, head of the General Services Administration, who delayed the receipt of federal monies for the process until November 23. Nevertheless, he proceeded through with the appointment of Cabinet members and other staff employees.

Joe Biden Capitol Siege and Inauguration

A crowd of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, after a congressional session to formally announce the Electoral College results had begun. The crowd overpowered the police, causing senators to flee for their safety.

Soon after, Biden gave a speech in which he begged Trump to assist in bringing order to the pandemonium. “A president’s comments can be motivating at their finest. They have the potential to provoke, he said. Therefore, I urge President Trump to appear on live television right away to uphold his oath of office, defend the constitution, and demand that this siege halt.

After the violence, which led to more than 80 arrests and five fatalities, the congressional session resumed and went on until well after midnight. On January 7, Vice President Mike Pence officially announced Biden’s victory soon after 3:40 a.m.

On January 20, 2021, Biden took the oath of office as the 46th president of the United States. He began his inaugural speech by saying:

Joe Biden First 100 Days

In his first few days in office, President Biden quickly got to work and signed a flurry of executive orders. He overturned the travel ban that targeted people from Muslim-majority countries, withdrew funding for the construction of a wall along the Mexican border, revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, and allowed transgender people to reenlist in the military, among other actions that reversed the policies of his predecessor.

The president extended the enrollment period for the federal health insurance marketplace and asked Congress to pass a coronavirus assistance package as the nation continues to struggle with the COVID-19 outbreak. This was made possible by the American Rescue Plan’s adoption in March, which authorized more stimulus funds and prolonged unemployment benefits.

Biden welcomed the distribution of 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccination two days after promising that all Americans older than 18 would be qualified for it by April 19. His target deadline of May 1 had been missed. While doing so, he attempted to link the country’s economic recovery to proposals for a $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, which aimed to make long-overdue infrastructure investments, and a $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, which promised to establish publicly-funded preschools and a comprehensive family and medical leave program.

On the international front, the president declared in mid-April that the American forces will leave Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. Shortly after, he imposed severe sanctions on Russia in response to a cyber operation that exposed numerous U.S. federal institutions.

However, the president noticed fewer fruitful outcomes when it came to border security. His efforts to relieve the overcrowded detention facilities at the US-Mexico border were thwarted despite the fact that he established a task force to reunite separated children with their parents and promised to eliminate the “metering” that set a cap on the number of asylum applicants. Additionally, Biden first broke his commitment to increase the Trump administration’s annual ceiling of 15,000 refugees, but political pressure drove him to change his mind.

Joe Biden 2024 Presidential Campaign

On April 25, 2023, after delaying his announcement for several months, Biden finally launched his eagerly anticipated reelection bid for the 2024 presidency. In a video statement, Biden emphasized the value of individual freedom while making references to abortion, book restrictions, LGBTQ rights, and voting rights. He then almost instantly attacked conservatives who support Trump. Biden is the Democratic front-runner despite being 80 years old.

Joe Biden Quotes

I made a joke with the president when he asked me to join the ticket, saying, “There are two conditions. One, I won’t be donning any absurd headwear. Additionally, I won’t alter my brand.

In my opinion, we cannot pursue an extreme foreign policy.

The tremendous blow we suffered on September 11th is still felt widely across American society.

Franklin Roosevelt spoke on television after the stock market crisis and didn’t just criticize the greedy princes. “Look, this is what happened,” he continued.

This time, let’s simply be wise. I want someone intelligent.

People now look at me when I say that and ask, “What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me that in order to avoid bankruptcy, we must go spend money. I’m telling you that the answer is indeed yes.

I began my career as a civil rights activist, so the opportunity to be a part of a historical moment where the best thinkers, doers, and—dare I say it—single best representation of the American people can be called upon—to be there with a man who has such incredible talent and who is also a groundbreaking figure in many ways—I genuinely find that exciting. America has changed. It reflects a modernized America.

As a candidate for vice president, Hillary Clinton is equally or perhaps more qualified than I am. In all honesty, it might have made a better choice than I did.

You owe no one a living. However, everyone has a right to dignity.

If we alter, [the terrorists] will prevail. They can only succeed in that way. Because of what we stand for, which they despise.

We must lead not just by our power but also by the power of our power.

You shouldn’t go hunting if you can’t hit the animal with three bullets. You make me ashamed of you.

I believe that Republicans have a general suspicion of average middle-class folks. It sounds quite similar to “These people don’t know what’s good for them.”

At first, I wasn’t interested in the [vice president] position and didn’t believe I would particularly enjoy it.

However, it has been tremendously fulfilling because of the cooperation and the way the president has used me.
Sincerity fosters trust with the majority of individuals, I’ve discovered.

My concept of power—and I realize this sounds cheesy—is the capacity to alleviate human suffering.

How many years has Joe Biden been the president?

On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. Biden, a Democrat from Delaware who had previously served as Barack Obama’s vice president, was elected president in 2020 after defeating Republican incumbent president Donald Trump.

How much does Joe Biden have kids?

Joe Biden has fathered four children through two marriages. Beau Biden (Joseph R. Biden III) (1969-2015) had two children with his wife Hallie: Natalie and Hunter, giving him a total of seven grandchildren—five from Hunter and two from Beau.

What is Joe Biden’s net worth?

His net worth was $2.5 million when he was still vice president, but it increased to $8 million during the time he was out of politics, according to Forbes. Biden’s estimated net worth is $9 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, albeit