Honestly, the "Presidential Club" feels a lot smaller these days. We recently lost Jimmy Carter—the man who basically redefined what a post-presidency looks like by building houses and eradicating diseases well into his nineties. His passing at 100 on December 29, 2024, marked the end of an era.
Right now, in early 2026, we have five living US presidents.
You’ve got the current guy in the Oval Office, Donald Trump, and then the "exes": Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. It’s a fascinating, albeit slightly awkward, mix of personalities and legacies. If you were to put them all in a room today, the vibes would be... complicated.
Who are the five living US presidents right now?
Since 2026 just kicked off, here is the current roster. It’s a heavy-hitting list of names that have defined the last thirty-plus years of American life.
- Bill Clinton (79)
- George W. Bush (79)
- Barack Obama (64)
- Donald Trump (79) – Currently serving his second, non-consecutive term.
- Joe Biden (83)
It’s wild to think that three of these guys—Clinton, Bush, and Trump—were all born in the same year: 1946. They are the "Class of '46," three distinct flavors of the Baby Boomer generation.
Then you have Joe Biden, who is the elder statesman of the group at 83, and Barack Obama, who still feels like the "young guy" at 64, even though he left office nearly a decade ago.
Donald Trump: The 45th and 47th
It’s a weird trivia fact that finally came true: Trump is the first person since Grover Cleveland to serve two non-consecutive terms. Because he is currently the sitting president in 2026, his "post-presidency" is technically on pause.
Lately, he’s been obsessed with "The Great Healthcare Plan." Just a few days ago, on January 15, 2026, the White House dropped a massive fact sheet about it. He’s pushing Congress to codify "Most-Favored-Nation" deals for drug prices. Basically, he wants Americans to pay the same low prices for meds that people in Europe pay.
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He’s also busy with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. He just announced that JD Vance is leading the delegation over to Italy for the opening ceremonies in February.
Health-wise, he’s been pretty defensive. He recently had a CT scan at Walter Reed and went on a bit of a tear about it in a Wall Street Journal interview, insisting his "genetics are very important" and that he’s doing fine. There’s been some chatter about him having chronic venous insufficiency—which is just a fancy way of saying his legs swell up—but he says he hates compression socks and won't wear them. Fair enough.
Joe Biden: The Quiet Life in Delaware (Mostly)
After leaving the White House in January 2025, Joe Biden headed back to Wilmington. He’s 83 now.
You don't see him on the news every night anymore, and honestly, he seems fine with that. Most of his "work" these days involves his presidential library and sporadically weighing in on judicial matters. People still look to him for his take on Supreme Court nominees, mostly because he spent decades on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
He’s the oldest living president. He took that title the moment Jimmy Carter passed away. He’s spent most of his time since the 2024 election focusing on his family and occasionally popping up for events related to the Affordable Care Act.
Barack Obama: The South Side Legacy
If you’re in Chicago this year, you’re going to hear a lot about Obama.
The Obama Presidential Center is scheduled to finally open its doors in June 2026. It’s a massive project on the South Side. It’s not just a museum with old pens and suits; it’s got a basketball court, a recording studio, and a branch of the public library.
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Obama himself is 64. He’s been doing the "elder statesman" thing—podcasts, producing films through Higher Ground, and occasionally dropping a list of his favorite books or songs that makes everyone on the internet argue for three days.
He’s also been heavily involved in the "America250" initiative. 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States, and he’s been pushing for a massive year of national service. He’s surprisingly low-key for a guy with that much star power.
George W. Bush: Painting and Global Health
George W. Bush is 79 and living his best life in Dallas.
Most people know he took up oil painting, but his actual "work" is still centered on the Bush Institute. Just this month (January 2026), his center released a big update on global health. He is still deeply committed to PEPFAR—the program he started to fight HIV/AIDS.
He’s also been in the news recently because of some declassified transcripts of his old calls with Vladimir Putin from 2001. It’s a weird blast from the path, reading about how they used to "bond" over fighting terrorism.
Nowadays, you’ll mostly catch him at Texas Rangers games or hanging out with his grandkids. He’s successfully transitioned into the "likable grandpa" phase of his public life, which is a wild shift from how people viewed him in 2004.
Bill Clinton: The Policy Nerd
Bill Clinton is also 79. He’s had some health scares over the years—heart stuff, mostly—but he’s still active.
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His library in Little Rock is launching a new exhibit in March 2026 called "Making Amends," which is all about how the Constitution has changed over the last 250 years. He’s always been the policy wonk of the group.
He doesn’t travel as much as he used to, but he still shows up for the Clinton Global Initiative. He’s become a bit more frail, but his mind is still 100% on the game of politics. He’s often cited as one of the best analysts in the Democratic party, even if the party has moved significantly to the left of where he was in the 90s.
Why having five living presidents matters
It’s actually pretty rare to have this many. The record is six, which happened briefly during the Biden administration before Carter died.
Having this group of living US presidents serves as a sort of living history. Even though they disagree on almost everything—tax policy, healthcare, foreign intervention—they all share this weird, traumatic, exclusive bond. They are the only people on the planet who know what it’s like to have the "football" (the nuclear codes) following them into the bathroom.
What to watch for in 2026:
- The July 4th Semiquincentennial: Expect all five (or at least the four former ones) to make a rare joint appearance for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- The Obama Center Opening: The June 2026 opening will be a massive celebrity and political gala in Chicago.
- Trump’s Policy Pushes: Watch for how the 47th president navigates his second term while his predecessors watch from the sidelines.
If you want to keep up with them, the best way is to follow their respective centers (The Carter Center, The Bush Institute, etc.). They do more than just house old papers; they’re actually active in policy.
To dive deeper into the current administration's goals, check out the official White House briefings on the Great Healthcare Plan. If you're more into the history side, the Clinton Library's upcoming exhibit in March is a solid bet for seeing how the office has evolved.