How Biden is getting used to life as a “Lame Duck” president

Wilmington, Delaware, with a population of 71,000, is not the most likely place for a summit of world leaders to discuss the problems of the Indo-Pacific region.

But this weekend, President Biden will welcome his counterparts from India, Japan and Australia – bringing them to his beloved hometown to talk about military-Coast Guard cooperation and joint work on cervical cancer research.

It’s an example of how Biden is filling his schedule with a combination of the personal and the political – with an eye on his legacy – as his term winds down. Biden is now in the late autumn of his presidency and is increasingly acknowledging this publicly.

Take last week’s debate day, for example. It was originally planned as the second duel between Biden and former President Donald Trump – until Biden withdrew after the first.

As Vice President Harris prepared to take the stage, Biden had not one but two Events honoring college sports teamsHe joked to one of the winning coaches: “Next year I won’t be here anymore – but maybe you will be.”

Biden then spoke with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before heading to New York City. “I’m going to New York for my granddaughter’s birthday. Then we’ll watch the debate,” Biden said.

Biden has retreated from the limelight during the election campaign. But he still has four months left in the highest office in the country and is trying to make the most of it.

Biden’s chief of staff Jeffrey Zients recalled the Sunday morning in July when Biden called and announced his withdrawal from the race.

“He immediately turned to planning for the remainder of his term and said to me – and I remember this clearly – ‘I want the next few months to be as productive or more productive than any other term of the administration,'” Zients said.

This phase, the final months of a presidency, is referred to as the “lame duck.” But that term ignores the real work that can be done, says Eric Schultz, who worked in the Obama White House until the end.

Schulz said Obama instructed his staff to give their all. “He made it very clear that even on our worst days, there is no other place in life, profession, role or platform where you can have this much influence,” Schultz said.

For Biden and his team – who will have served only four years instead of eight – that feeling could be even stronger, Schultz said.

Even on the day Biden ended his bid for a second term—which could be described as one of the low points of his career—he was working on the phone to push through what would become one of its biggest highlights: a complex multinational prisoner exchange.

Ten days later, Biden was on the tarmac when three Americans wrongfully detained in Russia were reunited with their families on U.S. soil. Biden said the exchange would not have been possible without the strong relationships he has cultivated during his time in office.

“Alliances make the difference. They stood up for us and took a chance. That was very important,” Biden said.

Yet most of the things Biden has done these days have not made big headlines – although Zients said Biden’s actions will have a big impact.

“He’s definitely been traveling a lot, he’s been all over the country. Earlier this month he announced the largest investment in rural electrification since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That was in Wisconsin,” Zients said.

To be precise, in Westby, Wisconsin – where Biden had the necessary ease to refer to a senator who has long since passed away.

“The first time I was here was about 180 years ago with William Proxmire, and I was a 31-year-old senator. Now I’m only 40,” Biden said.

Biden is working to gain support for legislation that will form a large part of his legacy: the Infrastructure Act, the CHIPs and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“I’m back today to begin a series of trips and events that showcase the progress we’ve made together on our Investing in America agenda,” he said.

In the remaining four months, the president, who has long had a passion for foreign policy, will also travel abroad.

And he will return to the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where Biden has the best chance of supporting Vice President Harris’ campaign. With time running out, Biden is well aware that the outcome of this election will play a big role in how he is remembered.

NPRs Michael Levitt And Melanie Lim contributed to this story.