A bustling commuter gate at Reagan National Airport descended into further chaos on Friday as fog-laden Washington skies triggered an hour-long ground stop, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in American Airlines’ Terminal D.
Yet, amidst the frustration, an unexpected presence began to draw attention.
The already packed area swelled as whispers spread through nearby gates: among the throngs of air travellers, only one individual was accompanied by a US Secret Service detail and uniformed local police officers – former President Joe Biden.
Rarely seen in public since leaving office last year, Mr Biden sat, much like his fellow passengers, awaiting a flight to Columbia, South Carolina, for an evening event with the South Carolina Democratic Party.
Passengers exchanged glances, marvelling at the sight. Why would a man who once held the highest office in the free world find himself, like them, at the mercy of airport delays, despite being surrounded by his security detail?
For Biden, however, such a scenario might feel less unusual than for some other former presidents.
Known for years as “Amtrak Joe”, he famously prided himself on being the nation’s most ardent Amtrak supporter during his time as a senator, regularly opting for the train journey home to Delaware over residing in Washington.
Even as a former president, he has been spotted riding the rails, engaging with fellow passengers and posing for selfies.
On Friday, the familiar, approachable vibe continued. Biden, seated in the third row of the small first-class cabin on the commuter jet, boarded ahead of other passengers, his security detail discreetly positioned throughout the aircraft.
“God bless you, sir,” one woman offered as she filed past Biden, who sat in his window seat with a newspaper in his lap.
Another man shook his hand, saying, “Thank you for your service.” The woman who took the aisle seat next to him initially placed her coffee on their shared armrest and stowed her bag overhead, only to realise upon sitting down that her seatmate was the nation’s 46th president.
Biden steadied her cup with his hand, then met her gaze with a friendly “hello” as she settled in. “I feel like I’m about to cry,” the woman confessed, as they shook hands and chatted throughout the hour-long flight.
While federal law guarantees lifelong Secret Service protection for former presidents and their spouses, it does not extend to providing the elite private travel arrangements that were a necessary feature of their time in office.
