Former President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden made their first public appearance since leaving the White House when they attended a glam-filled Broadway opening of “Othello” in New York City.
The 82-year-old former president attended Sunday as two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, performed in a classic Shakespeare tragedy.
Dressed in a black tuxedo, the 46th president waved quickly as he exited his motorcade and was ushered into the Barrymore Theatre in Midtown Manhattan ahead of the star-studded performance, the New York Post reported.
The former first lady later posted a snap of the pair on Instagram with the caption “date night.”
“Riveting… brilliant … BRAVO!” she wrote alongside a photo of them posing inside the theater in the wake of the curtain dropping, The Post noted.
Former President Joe Biden attended the opening night of Othello on Broadway, receiving a warm ovation from the audience. Backstage, he met stars Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. Washington told Biden, “It’s an honor for us just to have you here, and to do our best for… pic.twitter.com/4zx49vkgEk
— Orbital News (@orbital_news_) March 24, 2025
The former first couple’s appearance comes on the heels of a report that Joe Biden had been in contact with Democratic Party leaders and offered to help get the party back on its feet following devastating losses in 2024 — an offer that was not well-received by other Democrats.
The Bidens met last month with Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin to talk about the pair stepping to the front of the Democrat pack to boost Party fundraising and restore its image, the New York Post reported separately.
The proposal from the Bidens was met with terror from Democrat Party insiders and even former members of his White House staff.
“The Bidens are still living in an alternative universe that revolves only around them,” a former senior White House adviser said to The Post after NBC reported the meeting.
“Their irresponsibility, family ego, and selfishness put the Democratic Party in this position in the first place … The Biden family — and the disconnected reality that they and their ineffective little circle live in — is responsible for the Trump sequel and the wilderness the Democratic Party finds itself in today,” the source said.
“Why?” another former Biden administration official said to The Post. “That is my first question.”
“They can’t raise money either way,” the former official said. “I think donors would be more inclined to donate if they [the Bidens] were not relevant.”
“Joe Biden should enjoy retirement at the beach in Rehoboth,” another former Biden official said. “No voter wants to hear from him. He is delusional and arrogant to think that he can be a value add to the Democratic Party. We need to move on from the era of Joe Biden and embrace new, younger leadership.”
The ridicule did not stop at former members of Biden’s staff.
“Why the f–k would anyone listen to what Joe Biden has to say?” a congressional Democratic said to The Post. “He should stay in retirement with his pardoned family and keep his mouth shut.”
“The best thing Biden could do for the DNC is offer [DNC vice chair] David Hogg a high-paying role at his foundation,” another congressional Democratic aide quipped.
“Is this serious?” a former Democratic aide said. “I mean, it has to be a joke. This is an ‘SNL’ skit.”
After his presidency ended, Biden signed with the Creative Artists Agency to promote his post-presidential career.
“President Biden is one of America’s most respected and influential voices in national and global affairs,” CAA co-chairman Richard Lovett said in a statement. “His lifelong commitment to public service is one of unity, optimism, dignity, and possibility. We are profoundly honored to partner with him again.”
Under his previous stint with the agency, Biden released his memoir “Promise Me, Dad” in 2017, as well as his post-vice presidency “American Promise” speaking tour, which only sold about “85,000 tickets nationwide,” according to CAA’s press release.