In Biden’s homestretch, selfies on Air Force One and a chorus of ‘Thank you, Joe’

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden was in the mood to break some rules.

After a speech to union workers in Michigan, he brought a half-dozen of them onto Air Force One for a tour recently. He invited them to take photos in the presidential bedroom on the plane, something a White House staff member had just said was strictly forbidden.

But the president overruled his aide, according to Sean McGarvey, one of the top union officials present. Biden snapped some selfies with the group, and even let them lie down on one of the most exclusive parts of the aircraft: his bed.

Two months after abandoning his bid for a second term, Biden appears to be liberated by the decision, enjoying his long farewell and soaking up the adoration from supporters, even if it all comes with a painful truth: When people chant, “Thank you, Joe,” they are, at least in part, thanking him for quitting.

In private and public, Democratic voters are finding ways to say goodbye to a man who has been in public service for the better part of 50 years. They camp out along motorcade routes, hold up homemade signs and crack jokes that betray a hint (or more) of relief.

One of Biden’s supporters, who was at the White House recently for Hispanic Heritage Month, said the quiet part out loud after the president expressed regret for never having learned Spanish.

“You’re going to have time now!” the woman shouted from the audience. “I do,” Biden replied, laughing.

Biden’s unusual send-off is a result of some unusual circumstances: He withdrew from the race under pressure from his own party, as concerns mounted about his age and his ability to prevent former President Donald Trump from gaining power again.

Not everyone is praising Biden on his way out the door. He has come under enormous criticism for his positions on Israel and the border, for example. And Biden has privately expressed resentment, at times, for the way he was pressured to get out.

But many Democratic voters have a deep well of affection for the president, whose long career has been defined by personal tragedy and resilience.

“I knew it was time to hang up his coat,” said Stephen Foster, a 38-year-old Amtrak foreman from Delaware who comes from a family of die-hard Biden supporters. His mother, Linda, knew Biden when he was a camp counselor six decades ago, and his wife once took a class taught by the first lady.

“He is older, so it’s good he’s made it this far,” Foster said.

Even some of Biden’s critics have seemed to soften toward him at times. While visiting a firehouse in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in September, Biden encountered a Trump supporter who jokingly asked if the president remembered his own name.

“I don’t remember my name,” Biden said. “I’m slow.”

When Biden encouraged the man to wear an autographed presidential cap, the man asked the president to wear his Trump hat. Biden agreed.

“I’m proud of you now,” the man said, shortly after referring to Biden as an “old fart.”

Aside from the looser attitude, White House officials say the president is still serious about trying to accomplish what he can in the remainder of his term. Biden is “laser-focused on using every day in office to execute on the rest of his agenda,” said Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, including expanding the economy, promoting his record and ensuring that the United States has strong alliances.

But if the policy substance has not changed, the tone around the president has.

Celebrities who just months earlier had turned on Biden are now singing his praises.

George Clooney, an actor and Democratic donor who called for Biden to drop out in an opinion essay in The New York Times, said during the Venice Film Festival that the president’s decision to step aside was “selfless” and admirable.

Aaron Sorkin, a playwright and screenwriter, had suggested in his own opinion essay that Democrats replace Biden with a Republican. But after the president withdrew, Sorkin lauded him during an appearance at the White House to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “The West Wing,” known for its idealistic portrayal of politics.

“I’ve noticed that during times of peak political tension, pundits will warn us not to expect a ‘West Wing’ moment,” Sorkin said. “They mean not to expect a selfless act of statesmanship. Not to expect anyone to put country first, don’t expect anyone to swing for the fences or reach for the stars. But the fact is: ‘West Wing’ moments do happen.”

Biden’s decision to drop out, Sorkin said, was proof of that.

On the day Biden withdrew from the race, he also found time to say thank you.

McGarvey, the president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, said he was surprised to receive a call that day from a White House official connecting him to the president. Biden, still recovering from COVID-19, wanted McGarvey to deliver a message.

“I want you to thank everybody,” Biden said. “Tell your members, tell your leaders thank you for everything they’ve done for Joe Biden.”

“I gave it my all,” Biden said. “And then I get COVID.”

“When it rains, it pours,” McGarvey said.

“It sure as hell does,” Biden replied.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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