Former President Joe Biden may no longer hold office, but according to his own account, his influence hasn’t faded behind closed doors. Speaking last week at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference in San Diego, Biden hinted that international and domestic figures still seek his advice — a claim that has sparked both curiosity and skepticism.

In a conversation with SHRM President Johnny Taylor, Biden told the audience that leaders from Europe continue to reach out.

“I’m getting calls, I’m not going to go into it, I can’t, from a number of European leaders asking me to get engaged,”
he said.

“I’m not [getting involved], but I’m giving advice. Because things are different.”
The remark, shared in a widely circulated clip on social media by Democratic strategist Chris Jackson, showed the former president shifting between subdued, reflective tones and bursts of passionate rhetoric. At one point, Biden asked:

“If America doesn’t lead the world, who can?”
And then he added with emphasis,

“No, no, not a joke. Not because of power. Who can put it together?”
He also suggested that his influence extends across party lines, stating:

“I’m dealing with a lot of Democrats and Republican colleagues, all of them wanting to talk. Not because they think I have the answer, just to bounce things off me.”
But the moment that raised eyebrows came when Biden abruptly pivoted from policy talk to personal nostalgia:

“I’m also laying rubber with my ’67 Corvette on my driveway,”
he said, seemingly out of nowhere — a line that left many scratching their heads and others seizing the moment for criticism.