If you tuned into ABC this morning, you saw a sight that feels both very familiar and strangely out of place in 2026. Joe Biden sat down with the ladies of The View for an interview that was, well, vintage Joe. It’s been about a year since he left the White House, and honestly, the guy hasn't changed much. He’s still leaning on those "not a joke" punchlines and "here's the deal" transitions that defined his half-century in the public eye.
But today was different.
The air in the studio felt a bit heavier than his last few visits. Maybe it’s because the political landscape has shifted so drastically since Donald Trump’s second inauguration last year. Or maybe it’s because the questions from Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and the rest of the panel weren't just about the "good old days" of the Obama administration anymore.
Biden on The View Today: Setting the Record Straight
The big takeaway from Biden on The View today was his bluntness regarding his successor. When Joy Behar asked why Trump remains so "obsessed" with him—specifically referring to the current administration's threats to investigate Biden's final-hour pardons—Biden didn't hold back.
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"I beat him," he said.
That was it. Two words. The audience erupted, but the gravity behind the statement was real. Biden clearly still views himself as the one man who cracked the code on how to defeat Trumpism, even if the 2024 election results tell a different story for the Democratic party at large. He spent a good portion of the hour defending his legacy against the "worst first year of a presidency" narrative currently being pushed by the White House.
Defending the "Autopen" and the Legacy
One of the more technical, and frankly more heated, parts of the discussion centered on the "void and vacant" claims. Trump has recently been claiming that Biden’s use of an autopen to sign documents and pardons in his final days makes those actions legally invalid.
Biden’s response? "He’s the one who’s vacant."
It's a playground retort, sure, but it’s the kind of scrappy, Scranton-Joe energy that his supporters miss. He touched on his infrastructure wins—Amtrak, bridges, the works—and admitted that his administration "wasn't quite as good at advertising it" as they should have been.
Jill Biden Steps In
Jill Biden was there too, and she was arguably more defensive than Joe. She addressed the rumors that have been swirling in various "tell-all" books released over the last few months regarding Joe's cognitive health during his final year in office.
She wasn't having it.
"Joe worked really hard," she told the panel. She described a man who was on the phone at 2 a.m. dealing with global crises while the rest of the country slept. It was a clear attempt at image rehabilitation. The Bidens are essentially on a "reputational comeback tour," and The View has always been their safest harbor.
The Elephant in the Room: 2024 and Kamala Harris
You can't talk about Biden on the View today without talking about the 2024 post-mortem. The co-hosts, particularly Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin, pushed him on his relationship with Kamala Harris.
There’s been a lot of gossip. Some say he felt sidelined; others say he was a drag on her ticket. Biden tried to shut that down pretty quickly. He insisted they "argued like hell" but ultimately worked it out, and he defended her right to be "her own person" during the campaign.
He seemed to take a measure of responsibility for the loss, though. He acknowledged that as the guy at the top, when the party loses, it's on him. It felt like a rare moment of genuine introspection from a man who usually prefers to look for someone else to blame—usually the "other guy."
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Why This Interview Matters Now
So, why are we still dissecting what a former president says on a daytime talk show?
- The Legal Stakes: The talk about the "void" pardons isn't just TV drama. There are real-world legal implications if the current DOJ actually tries to litigate those final actions.
- The Party's Future: Democrats are still in the wilderness. Hearing Biden speak helps some people find closure, but for others, it’s a reminder of the "transition" that many feel happened too late.
- The Global Stage: Biden mentioned his concerns about NATO and Putin. He’s known Putin for 45 years—his words—and his warning that the current administration is leaning toward "modern-day appeasement" is a heavy charge.
What You Should Watch For Next
If you’re following this story, the "View" interview is just the tip of the iceberg. Biden revealed he’s writing another book, which he plans to release within the year. That's going to be the real venue where he settles scores.
For now, keep an eye on:
- The DOJ’s response: See if they actually file any motions regarding the autopen pardons mentioned in the interview.
- The Book Release: Expect more "leaks" from the Biden camp as they prepare the narrative for his memoirs.
- The University Centers: Biden is spending more time at the University of Delaware and UPenn. Watch for policy papers coming out of those institutes; that’s where his actual influence currently lives.
Ultimately, today's appearance was about a man who refuses to go quietly into the night. He’s 83, he’s out of power, but he still thinks he has the answers. Whether the American public—or his own party—is still listening is another question entirely.
To stay informed, you can check out the full transcript of the interview on ABC's official site or watch the highlights on their YouTube channel. It's worth seeing the body language for yourself; sometimes the "unspoken" parts of a Joe Biden interview tell you more than the words he actually says.