Joe Biden’s post-presidency venture into the speaking circuit has hit a wall, with few groups willing to pay the $300,000 he’s reportedly asking per event, according to The New York Post. The pushback comes as some of Biden’s former aides quietly urge him to step away from the public eye, especially following remarks in which he awkwardly referenced “colored kids” during his first major speech since leaving the White House.
Sources familiar with the situation say that Biden’s standard fee is $300,000 — a figure that’s about 25% lower than the $400,000 Barack Obama requested after finishing his term in 2017.
Whether Biden is open to negotiating that fee remains unknown.
In addition to the speaking fee, Biden’s team reportedly requests private air travel and accommodations for a five-person entourage. Since early February, he has been represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.
Biden made his public return to the stage on Tuesday, during which he stumbled over his words and used the term “colored kids,” prompting backlash.
“CAA is having trouble booking gigs, which isn’t surprising,” said a source with knowledge of the effort.
Another insider claimed that people in Biden’s orbit had floated the idea of asking for even more money, despite his recent reputation for verbal blunders — including a disastrous debate performance that led to an open revolt within his own party.
His remarks at this week’s disability-focused event in Chicago, where he referred to black youth as “colored,” were seen by some of his past aides as further proof that it’s time for Biden to retreat from the spotlight.
“This was hard to watch,” said a former White House staffer. “It felt like seeing someone you care about start to regress. We just wanted him to enjoy retirement like other presidents — not go out like this.”
The same former aide said that during Biden’s presidency, frustrations were mounting among Black staff members who felt sidelined.
“Black people elected Joe Biden, and then his senior team cut them off, even staff hired to help with engagement,” the former staffer said.
Biden’s first official speech since stepping down came on March 15, when he addressed students at the National High School Model United Nations conference (NHSMUN). He followed that with the Tuesday speech at the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD).
He also spoke at a private seminar hosted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics on Wednesday, organized by longtime aide Mike Donilon.
Harvard confirmed that Biden was not compensated for his appearance.
Neither NHSMUN nor ACRD responded to inquiries about whether they paid Biden for his talks, or if they did, how much.
While it remains uncertain exactly why Biden is struggling to attract big-paying audiences, former aides suggest part of the issue could lie with his representation.
CAA declined to comment for this story, but some of Biden’s allies think the agency is poorly positioned to secure high-paying gigs on the corporate speaking circuit. Notably, CAA also represents Kamala Harris.
One former aide said hiring CAA was a mistake. “The Harry Walker Agency, which works with both Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as Obama, ‘has relationships with all these large annual conferences and clients looking for high-profile speakers,’” the source noted.
“CAA is a Hollywood shop. They’re not set up to market speakers to, like, the national duty-free shopping conference. The bread and butter of paid speaking gigs is random large annual industry conferences.”
Another insider agreed with that critique, but still held out hope that Biden might regain his appeal in time.
“I do not think he is a draw yet,” the former aide admitted. “I think he will be more of a draw as Trump continues to dismantle our democracy.”
After serving as vice president, Biden had little difficulty commanding high fees for public appearances. His relatives — particularly his brother James and son Hunter — also profited by offering consulting services to overseas clients while Biden served under Obama.
Many of Biden’s highest-paid speeches came from academic institutions — a trend that may now be faltering, especially given his criticism of rising tuition costs during his presidency.
Records show Biden was once paid $190,000 for a talk at Drew University, $182,000 at Lake Michigan College, $180,000 for events at both Vanderbilt and the University at Buffalo, $125,000 at Southern Connecticut State University, $100,000 at Long Island University, and $93,000 for a visit to Brown — all part of his post-vice presidency speaking run.
{Matzav.com}