President Biden may eschew an end-of-term press conference — he had relatively few during his four years in office.
But as Biden's presidency comes to a close, here's what NPR's White House correspondents would ask him if he did hold one:
1. Why didn't you follow through on your pledge to be a bridge to the next generation and step aside in time for your party to hold a primary? — Mara Liasson
There has been lots of criticism from some corners of the Democratic Party that Biden hobbled his party's chances at retaining the presidency, given Biden's age and the negative environment related to prices, housing, immigration and his handling of foreign affairs.
"Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else," Biden said in March of 2020 during the Democratic primary that he was on the cusp of winning. "There's an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country."
His team never addressed, however, whether he'd run for a second term if he won. The assumption in many corners was that, given his age, he'd step aside. But he didn't until it was made apparent to him, after his disastrous July debate performance, that he was unlikely to win.
Age 82, Biden is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history.
2. Do you regret not responding to the border challenges sooner and more forcefully? — Franco Ordoñez
Biden struggled to address the high number of migrants crossing the border, particularly in the early part of his administration. Immigration increasingly became a political liability for Biden.
Republicans continuously hit him over the issue. Biden later implemented tougher border policies and tried to negotiate a compromise bill with Republicans that was killed, in part, because of the influence of President-elect Donald Trump.
3. You said that the prosecution of your son Hunter Biden had been politicized. Trump says the same thing about the charges against him. Do you feel that the prosecution of Trump was politicized in any way? If not, do you worry about giving credibility to Trump's arguments of an unfair prosecution? — Franco Ordoñez
Biden pardoned his son Hunter, who was convicted on tax fraud and gun charges, after repeatedly pledging he would not do so. Americans might understand a father pardoning a son, but Republicans slammed the move, and Biden's reasoning even upset many Democrats.
Biden leveled that the judicial system was essentially stacked against his son and that he was targeted politically. That raised eyebrows because it echoed the "witch hunt" language Trump has used for years about cases against him. Critics argued that the comment undercut Democrats' messaging on ethics and belief in the judicial system.
4. You campaigned on the idea that Trump was a threat to democracy. Do you still believe he's an existential threat to democracy? And what's your message to the many Democrats who worry he is? — Asma Khalid
After years of campaigning against Trump in the starkest of language, Biden met with Trump at the White House in what was an ironically friendly public encounter.
"Welcome back," a smiling Biden said — one of the sharpest whiplashes in the year in politics.
The warm welcome left many opposed to Trump shaking their heads.
Both expressed a commitment to a smooth transition, a contrast to the acrimony and violence during the end of Trump's first term, when Trump refused to accept the election results.
5. If Donald Trump was such a terrible president the first time, as you and many Democrats suggested, why did Americans want him back? — Asma Khalid
One of Biden's biggest accomplishments was winning in 2020 and pressing a pause button on the Trump era. Had Biden or a Democrat won election in 2024, history might have remembered Biden as the person who stopped Trump and the politics that propelled him into the White House in the first place.
But Biden's failure to secure a second term for himself or another Democrat gives more oxygen to Trumpism. That's a setback for Democrats and those opposed to Trump's brand of politics.
6. What do you think it will take for a woman to be elected president of the United States? — Deepa Shivaram
The country has never elected a woman to be president in its more than 200-year history. That's despite allies like the U.K., Germany and Italy having elected female leaders.
Both times Trump has won, he defeated women — Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Vice President Harris in 2024. Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million but lost in the Electoral College. Harris lost both, including the popular vote by more than 2 million.
7. Who do you consider to be the future of the Democratic Party? After you leave office, who will you consider to be the leader of the party? — Deepa Shivaram
The 2028 election is going to be notable because Trump can't be president again. He's limited to two terms, consecutive or not, by the 22nd Amendment. That means an open race for the presidency in the next cycle, so who will emerge as the person Democrats look toward to lead them into the post-Biden, post-Trump future?
Biden promoted Harris as his replacement on the 2024 presidential ticket. That didn't work out, but will the party turn to her again in a wider primary in 2028?
During the 2020 presidential primary, Biden praised Pete Buttigieg, who went on to be Biden's transportation secretary, giving him what Biden said was the "highest compliment" he could give anyone.
"I don't think I've ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son Beau," Biden said then.
But there is a deep bench of Democrats who might be interested in leading the party, from governors like California's Gavin Newsom, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, Illinois' J.B. Pritzker, Maryland's Wes Moore and Kentucky's Andy Beshear; to senators like John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and others.
8. Looking back over your very long career in public life, what do you see as your greatest accomplishment? Do you worry that it will be buried under many paragraphs about your and your party's political failure in 2024? — Tamara Keith
There is plenty for Biden to look back on positively about his long career on Capitol Hill, as well as his presidency. He first won election to the Senate back in 1972 and rose to become one of the most influential senators on Capitol Hill over the next several decades. He wrote the Violence Against Women Act, the crime bill and was chairman of both the judiciary and foreign relations committees.
Biden later served as vice president to then-President Barack Obama, the first Black president. With his relationships on Capitol Hill, he helped shepherd legislation and break stalemates with Republicans during Obama's two terms.
As president, Biden helped the country past the COVID pandemic, increasing the availability of testing and vaccines. He got legislation through to help Americans financially and, after decades of failure to address the nation's infrastructure, he was able to pass a massive infrastructure bill, something that will be felt increasingly in communities in coming years.
The country's economy slowly improved post-pandemic and did so better than many other developed nations. But those accomplishments were overshadowed by stubbornly high, post-pandemic inflation that resulted in higher-than-pre-pandemic prices.
The fix for inflation — the Federal Reserve raising interest rates — meant more expensive mortgages and auto loans. People felt negatively about the state of the country going into the election, and many were already upset about increased border crossings, which they felt the Biden administration was slow to address. Biden's age was a concern for many people, including lots of Democrats. Biden's debate failure and Harris' subsequent loss to Trump leaves a mark on Biden's legacy, but it's unclear if that will ultimately outweigh his other accomplishments.
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