Biden Absent from Campaign Trail as Obama, Harris Step Up Midterm Push

Former President Joe Biden has been conspicuously absent from the campaign trail as Democrats strive to secure majorities in the House and Senate in the upcoming midterms. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are intensifying their efforts to support the party's candidates.

Biden, 83, has maintained a limited public schedule while managing his health. A source within Biden's political circle confirmed that he has been endorsing candidates and assisting Democrats with fundraising, but has made few public political appearances this year. This situation has become increasingly apparent with only four weeks remaining until Election Day.

In contrast, Obama is producing advertisements for Senate and gubernatorial candidates, aiding the party in fundraising, and is preparing to actively campaign during the final stretch of the midterm election period. Harris, who is also the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in 2024, is campaigning across key battleground states. She recently visited Michigan to support Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Biden has appeared at a small number of political events this year. He spoke in February at a reception commemorating his 2020 South Carolina primary victory, a pivotal moment that propelled him toward the Democratic nomination and subsequent presidency. In June, he addressed an event hosted by the Maryland Democratic Party.

Some figures within the Democratic party's elite and fundraising circles have expressed concerns that Biden could be a liability if he were to be more publicly involved in campaign events. However, others believe that Biden still holds significant appeal among a substantial portion of the American electorate.

Biden has made endorsements in several Democratic primary contests. He backed former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor, who subsequently won the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nomination and later served as a senior advisor in the Biden administration. He also endorsed Dan Koh, another former Biden administration official, who secured the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District.

Beyond specific endorsements, Biden has also spoken out on issues such as the importance of voting and defending democracy. "American democracy begins and ends at the ballot box. There is no more important civic duty nor fundamental right to be defended," the former president posted on social media last month while casting his ballot in Delaware's primary.

Biden's post-presidency approval ratings have been noted. In January 2025, during the final Fox News poll of his time in the White House, he had a 42% approval rating and a 57% disapproval rating. A CNN poll conducted in May showed Biden with a 71% favorable rating among Democrats, though this was 25 points lower than the favorable rating for Obama among the same group.

Some Democrats have attributed Trump's 2024 re-election to Biden's decision not to withdraw from the race earlier, which they argue would have allowed Harris a clearer path to a successful presidential campaign. Concerns have been raised about Biden's level of charisma compared to Harris and Obama, with some strategists indicating they would not organize large-scale events centered around Biden.

Maria Cardona, a Democratic National Committee member, suggested that Biden's age and health status are factors limiting his campaign appearances. "I guarantee you no one would try to bother him to come campaign for them while, at 83-years-old, he is battling cancer and in the toughest fight of his life," Cardona stated.

Attempts to reach a spokesperson for Biden for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.