Was Joe Biden a good president?

I can share factual information to help you form your own assessment, but "good" is ultimately a subjective and contested judgment that depends on your values and priorities. Let me give you a balanced overview of his record.Whether Biden was a "good" president depends heavily on which issues you weigh most heavily and your political perspective — there's no consensus answer. Here's a balanced look at his record:

Arguments for a positive assessment

Economy & COVID recovery: Biden oversaw the strongest economic recovery of any G7 nation post COVID-19 and one of the strongest economic recoveries in United States history, breaking a 70-year record for low unemployment, and the creation of over 16 million new jobs, the most of any single term president. He came into office at the start of the second wave of COVID, and his administration's handling of the crisis and the advice given to the public was in stark contrast to the chaos of the Trump administration.

Major legislation: Biden's biggest win was the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in American history — nearly half-a-trillion dollars to advance deployment of electric cars, green energy, home efficiency, and climate-smart agriculture, putting America on a path to slash peak carbon emissions in half by 2030. He also secured a bipartisan deal on infrastructure that had famously eluded his predecessor, and signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, stopping a 30-year streak of federal inaction on gun violence.

Healthcare: Biden managed to double the number of Americans who have access to affordable healthcare, with almost 25 million Americans signing up during the 2025 open enrollment period compared with 12 million under Trump.

Foreign policy wins: Internationally, the bulk of Biden's focus was on supporting Ukraine, both in providing continual military aid and spearheading a broader coalition of multinational support, and he orchestrated a historically massive prisoner swap between the US and Russia.

Arguments for a negative assessment

Inflation: The administration failed to solve the inflation crisis — it averaged 5.4% per year during his time in office, and inflation was identified by 41% of Americans polled in May 2024 as their most important financial worry.

Afghanistan withdrawal: The surprise evacuation in August 2021 was chaotic and left allies in the lurch; although a majority of Americans agreed with leaving Afghanistan, 69% said Biden did a poor job handling the departure. The chaos and confusion of the withdrawal rightly drew criticism – especially the deaths of 13 US service members.

Border/immigration: Illegal migrant crossings surged, peaking at a record-breaking 249,741 encounters in December 2023, though numbers declined significantly by December 2024.

Gaza: Critics on the left point to his handling of the Israel-Gaza war as a major failure, with Rolling Stone calling it "the biggest stain on Joe Biden's legacy as president" for his periodic criticism of Netanyahu's handling of the war while failing to rein him in, instead ensuring a steady stream of weapons continued to flow into Israel.

Age and the 2024 decision: His hubris led him to run for reelection, refusing to step aside, while his staff and First Lady took pains to isolate him and hide his deteriorating health from others. This is widely seen as damaging both his legacy and his party's chances in 2024.

Public approval: His average job approval rating of 42% across his term suggests he would be ranked well below average by the public, and he was rated at 39% in December — the same as Trump's rating just before leaving office. A Gallup poll found a majority (54 percent) believe Biden will be remembered as a "below average" or "poor" president.

Bottom line

One analysis summed it up well: Biden concludes his single term as, paradoxically, one of the best and worst presidents to occupy the Oval Office. He compiled a substantial legislative record (infrastructure, climate, chips manufacturing) while also facing serious foreign policy stumbles, inflation that hurt ordinary Americans, and a contested decision to seek reelection despite visible decline.

Whether that adds up to "good" really comes down to which of these you prioritize — economic/legislative output, foreign policy conduct, or political judgment/communication.