Biden delivered a 22-minute speech at the National Bar Association's 100th annual convention gala in Chicago on July 31, 2025.
He accused the Trump administration of "doing its best to dismantle the Constitution" with help from a compliant Congress and Supreme Court.
Biden warned "these are dark days" and called the current moment "existential" for marginalized communities.
The speech broke 150 years of tradition where former presidents avoid publicly attacking their successors.
Biden appointed more Black women federal judges than all previous presidents combined, including Justice
Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Biden disclosed in May 2025 he was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Rep. Jasmine Crockett attended the gala.