Joe Biden has been relatively quiet since leaving office last month. But on Monday, news broke that the former president has re-signed with talent agency giant Creative Artists Agency.
Biden was a CAA client following his vice presidency with Barack Obama, which is when he published his memoir “Promise Me, Dad,” reflecting on his son Beau’s battle with cancer.
“President Biden is one of America’s most respected and influential voices in national and global affairs,” Richard Lovett, co-chairman of CAA, 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.”
CAA also reps the Obama family’s Higher Grounds Productions and left-leaning pols such as Joe Manchin, Susan Rice, and Beto O’Rourke.
It’s not uncommon for presidents to cash in on book deals, speaking appearances, and films following their time in the Oval Office. In fact, at this point, it’s almost expected.
But President Donald Trump has been a trailblazer for cashing in on his brand while in power. Whereas past presidents have waited to use their name for profit until after their time in office, Trump is a known grifter.
The convicted felon is currently offering branded Bibles, guitars, cologne, sneakers, and other items. Trump has also capitalized on meme coins with the launch of $TRUMP last month, and Trump Media & Technology Group announced it will expand into financial and investment advising.
Given Trump’s power over financial policy, this has experts concerned about a conflict of interest.
Jessica Tillipman, an anti-corruption and government ethics professor at George Washington University, told Daily Kos that there are no laws preventing Trump from profiting off of the people he was elected to serve.
“We've always relied on this system of norms,” she said. “I think people were pretty surprised to see how few restrictions there were on what a president could do, because we hadn't seen this before.”
Sign up to receive the Daily Kos Recommended Newsletter.
