He's gone. For a guy who spent fifty years walking the marble halls of the Capitol and the plush carpets of the West Wing, the silence of private life must be jarring. Or maybe it’s a relief. Honestly, after the whirlwind of the 2024 withdrawal and the inauguration of his successor a year ago, everyone seems to be asking the same thing: where is Biden going now that he’s officially a private citizen?
He isn't in the Situation Room anymore. He isn't boarding Air Force One for a G7 summit. As of January 2026, Joe Biden has largely swapped the frantic energy of Washington D.C. for the relative peace of the coast.
The Rehoboth Routine and the Wilmington Office
Most of the time, if you're looking for the 46th president, you'll find him in Delaware. He’s split his time between the family home in Wilmington and the beach house in Rehoboth Beach. It's a bit of a cliché, the retired politician heading to the water, but for Biden, Delaware has always been the "anchor."
💡 You might also like: Are Tornadoes Getting Worse? What’s Actually Happening in the Atmosphere
You might catch a glimpse of the Secret Service detail—which never actually goes away—outside a local coffee shop or near the Henlopen City Oyster House. He’s been seen attending Mass at St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church, keeping a low profile while the rest of the world argues about the current administration’s latest executive orders. It is a stark contrast. One day you are deciding the fate of global alliances; the next, you're deciding which book to read on the porch.
The Biden Institute and the Legacy Project
He hasn't totally disappeared into the dunes, though. Biden is still deeply involved with the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware. This isn't just a vanity project with his name on the building. He has been focused on civil rights, environmental policy, and the "Moonshot" initiative to end cancer—a cause that remains the most personal part of his public life.
- Working with researchers on cancer data sharing.
- Hosting small, private forums on the state of American democracy.
- Writing. There's always a memoir or a "reflections" book in the works with former presidents.
- Mentoring younger Democratic staffers who still view him as the "Elder Statesman."
Where is Biden going on the International Stage?
Just because he doesn't have the nuclear football doesn't mean his passport is gathering dust. Former presidents often serve as "unofficial" ambassadors. While he isn't representing the current U.S. government, his decades of relationships with leaders like Scholz or Macron haven't just evaporated.
There have been whispers about him attending high-level climate summits or democracy forums in Europe. He’s essentially a walking library of 20th and 21st-century diplomacy. If a major international crisis hits, don't be surprised if a phone call still finds its way to a house in Wilmington. Leaders trust him. They've known him since he was a young Senator on the Foreign Relations Committee.
The Reality of Post-Presidency Health
We have to be real here. Joe Biden turned 83 in late 2025. Age was the central theme of his exit from the 2024 race, and it remains a factor in how much he travels. You won't see him doing 15-city tours. His schedule is "deliberate." That’s the polite way of saying he picks his battles and saves his energy for the things that actually matter to him, like family milestones and his core policy legacies.
What People Get Wrong About His "Disappearance"
A lot of people think he’s been sidelined or "hidden away" by the party. That's a bit of a reach. Historically, former presidents—especially those succeeded by their rivals—tend to stay quiet during the first year of the new term. It’s a tradition of "one president at a time."
He’s following the Obama and Bush playbook: stay out of the daily mudfight unless the foundations of the country are literally shaking. He’s not "going" anywhere in a political sense; he’s just stepping back to let the new guard (and the old rival) have the floor. It’s a tactical silence.
Staying Connected to the Fight
"We're not leaving the fight." That’s what he said when he left the Capitol on January 20, 2025. While he isn't on the ballot, his influence is still felt through the "Biden-Harris" alumni scattered across think tanks and law firms.
If you want to keep track of his actual movement, watch the University of Delaware's schedule and the occasional press release from the Biden Foundation. He’s focusing on the long game now.
To stay informed on his public appearances, you can follow the official Biden Institute updates or check the National Archives for his presidential library progress. If you're looking for a deep dive into the policies he's still championing, looking into the Cancer Moonshot progress reports is the best way to see where his heart—and his schedule—actually lies.
Next Steps for Readers:
Check the University of Delaware’s Biden Institute event calendar for upcoming public lectures or visit the official Biden Cancer Initiative website to see the latest legislative and scientific milestones he continues to support from the sidelines.