Joe Biden struggles to land speaking gigs with asking price of $300K per appearance, reveals insider

WASHINGTON, DC: Joe Biden may have wrapped up his presidency, but his post-White House hustle isn’t going quite as planned. Turns out his $300,000-per-speech fee isn’t exactly in high demand.

According to the New York Post, the former president has been trying to land paid speaking gigs through the powerhouse Creative Artists Agency (CAA) since February, but bookings have been slow.

“CAA is having trouble booking gigs, which isn’t surprising,” one insider said bluntly.

Joe Biden’s price tag vs Barack Obama’s glow

For comparison, Joe Biden’s asking price is reportedly 25% less than what Barack Obama commanded in 2017 — $300K vs $400K, but the discount hasn’t made much of a difference.

It’s unclear how firm that number is, but Biden’s team hasn’t exactly been shy. One source told the Post that people close to him have even floated higher fees at times. That’s although his last year in office was marked by a string of verbal gaffes and a disastrous debate performance that ultimately tanked his re-election bid.

Plus, there was that awkward moment just this week, when Biden referred to Black children as “colored kids” during a speech at a disability rights conference in Chicago — his first public address since stepping down.

For some of his former aides, it hit a little too hard. “This was hard to watch,” one ex-White House official said. “It felt like seeing someone you care about start to regress. We just wanted him to enjoy retirement like other presidents, not go out like this.”

The disillusionment among former staffers runs deeper than just one speech. According to the same ex-aide, many minority staffers were already feeling sidelined even during Biden’s presidency. “Black people elected Joe Biden, and then his senior team cut them off, even staff hired to help with engagement,” they said.

Joe Biden’s post-White House speaking tour

So far, Joe Biden’s return to the speaking circuit has been quiet. His first known post-presidency speech came on March 15 at a National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) event.

Then, on Tuesday, he addressed Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) in Chicago — the same event where his “colored kids” comment was made.

On Wednesday, he popped up at Harvard’s Institute of Politics for a private seminar organized by longtime confidant Mike Donilon. Harvard confirmed that Biden wasn’t paid for that appearance.

As for the NHSMUN and ACRD events, there is no word on whether Biden was paid. Both groups declined to comment to the Post.

What's more? If you do book Biden, travel’s not exactly simple. Sources say his requirements include a private jet and expenses for five staffers to tag along. That's a pretty steep package for someone whose speeches haven’t exactly gone viral for the right reasons lately.

Is CAA the right fit?

There’s also some second-guessing about his choice of agency. One source close to Joe Biden’s post-presidency office said that signing CAA was a “bad decision.”

The source noted that while CAA shines in Hollywood, it’s not exactly the go-to for landing lucrative corporate conference gigs. That territory belongs to agencies like The Harry Walker Agency, which reps Obama and both Clintons.

“CAA is a Hollywood shop. They’re not set up to market speakers to, like, the national duty-free shopping conference. The bread and butter of paid speaking gigs is random large annual industry conferences,” the source explained.

Another insider agreed, but held out some hope. “I do not think he is a draw yet,” they said. “I think he will be more of a draw as Trump continues to dismantle our democracy.”

Back when he was fresh out of the VP office, Biden didn’t have much trouble bringing in the bucks, especially from colleges.

He made $190,000 for a speech at Drew University, $182,000 from Lake Michigan College, $180,000 at both Vanderbilt and the University at Buffalo, $125,000 at Southern Connecticut State, $100,000 at Long Island University, and $93,000 at Brown University.