Former President Joe Biden was awkwardly left standing alone on stage Thursday at the grand opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, creating another uncomfortable viral moment for the 83-year-old Democrat.
The ceremony had ended, music was playing and former President Barack Obama appeared to happily make his way off stage.
Former first lady Jill Biden followed, smiling as she exited, while Biden remained behind by himself, tepidly waving toward the crowd.
Then the former president walked back toward the podium, removed his sunglasses and looked out at the audience with a puzzled expression.
“Where’s my granddaughter?” he shouted.
Biden then appeared to begin making his way off stage before the footage cut off.
The moment immediately recalled some of the most uncomfortable scenes from Biden’s presidency, when he was repeatedly seen lingering after events, appearing unsure of where to go or waiting for aides to guide him.
Thursday’s appearance was rare for Biden, who is battling prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
He joined former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama, along with their spouses, for the dedication of the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris was also in attendance.
At one point during the ceremony, Obama walked over to Biden and gave him a pat on the back as the two shared a laugh.
Obama also praised Biden during his remarks, thanking him for their years together in the White House.
“Thank you to your steadfast partnership for eight years. Joe, we started as running mates, and ended as family. And we would not be here without you, and we are grateful,” Obama said.
DOCTOR Jill Biden left Joe Biden on the stage at the Obama presidential center and Joe appeared to have no idea what was going on. Why do they keep taking him to public events? It’s cruel. pic.twitter.com/K2OyX44WHQ
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 19, 2026
But Biden’s appearance comes as Democrats continue to grapple with the political fallout from his failed 2024 reelection effort and the party’s loss to President Donald Trump.
Many Democrats have since argued Biden should have stepped aside earlier to give the party a better chance at defeating Trump.
Hillary Clinton delivered one of the bluntest assessments this week during an interview with New Yorker editor David Remnick.
“He made a terrible mistake,” Hillary Clinton told New Yorker editor David Remnick earlier this week. “He made a terrible mistake for himself, his legacy, and for the country.”
Clinton argued Democrats would have been better served by a real primary fight.
“We would have had a real contest,” she added about how events would’ve unfolded if Biden hadn’t run. “And very sadly, I believe whoever emerged from that contest, whether it was the vice president or a governor or a senator or anybody else, would have beaten Donald Trump.”
Jill Biden has also recently acknowledged that, if she could do it again, she would have pushed her husband not to seek a second term.
She also publicly claimed she thought Biden was having a stroke during his disastrous 2024 debate performance against Trump.
Biden was the oldest president in U.S. history, though Trump, who turned 80 on Sunday, is on track to surpass that age by the end of his term.
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