Joe Biden, in full Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., (born Nov. 20, 1942, Scranton, Pa., U.S.), 46th president of the U.S. (2021– ). After earning a law degree (1968) from Syracuse University in New York, he briefly worked as an attorney in Delaware before turning to politics. In 1972 he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a member of the Democratic Party. He went on to win reelection six times and became Delaware’s longest-serving senator (1973–2009). As a senator, Biden focused on foreign relations, criminal justice, and drug policy. After two unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination (1988, 2008), he was Barack Obama’s running mate in 2008 and served two terms (2009–17) as vice president. In 2020 Biden became the Democratic presidential nominee, and he chose Kamala Harris, an African American senator, as his running mate. In one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history, Biden defeated Pres. Donald Trump, who alleged voter fraud (without providing evidence) and sought to overturn the results. As Congress met to certify Biden’s win, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. It took several hours to secure the building, and the election was eventually certified. Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021.
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