President Joe Biden is set to return to the campaign trail on Monday, joining Vice President Kamala Harris at a Labor Day event in Pittsburgh after spending most of the past weeks out of sight.
Biden has been resetting in California and Delaware following a whirlwind six weeks after ending his future in presidential politics.
The president has stayed out of the public eye for large stretches of the bicoastal vacation, charting out how to spend his remaining months in office after abandoning his bid for a second term in the White House. Biden is expected to return to the campaign trail on Monday to support Harris before returning to Washington.
What’s still to come: Now free from the pressures and time constraints that come with being a campaign principal, Biden has worked over the last few weeks to set his legacy — with a special focus on foreign affairs. His administration’s negotiation with Russia that led to the largest prisoner exchange in decades at the beginning of this month was a crucial achievement.
Throughout his time in California and Delaware, the president participated in a series of calls with foreign leaders as the US continues to push for a deal that would see a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Hamas-held hostages, while trying to stop clashes between Israel and Hezbollah from devolving into a wider war that could draw in the United States and Iran.
Biden has also spoken with at least five world leaders since his speech at the Democratic National Convention last week. He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the continued threats from Iran and the need for a ceasefire deal last Wednesday.