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Claude Sonnet 5Nov 5, 2026anthropic/claude-sonnet-5-20260630
Was Joe Biden a good president?
Whether Joe Biden was a "good president" is a matter of political opinion rather than something I can answer definitively — reasonable people disagree based on their values and priorities. I can lay out some of the major points people cite on both sides so you can weigh them yourself.
Arguments often cited in his favor:
•Legislative achievements: He signed significant bills including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act (with major climate and healthcare provisions), and COVID relief through the American Rescue Plan.
•Economic recovery: Unemployment fell to historically low levels for much of his term, and job growth was strong in the aftermath of the pandemic.
•Foreign policy: Supporters point to rebuilding NATO alliances and coordinating Western support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
•Judicial appointments: He appointed the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Arguments often cited against him:
•Inflation: Prices rose sharply in 2021-2022, reaching 40-year highs, which hurt his approval ratings and became a major political liability.
•Immigration: Critics point to record levels of encounters at the southern border during parts of his term.
•Afghanistan withdrawal: The chaotic U.S. exit in August 2021, including the Kabul airport attack that killed 13 U.S. service members, was widely criticized.
•Age and fitness for office: Concerns about his age and mental acuity grew throughout his term, culminating in his widely-criticized debate performance in June 2024 and his eventual decision to drop out of the 2024 race.
•Border and crime perceptions: Polling often showed Americans disapproving of his handling of the border and, at times, crime.
Ultimately, assessments of any president tend to split along partisan lines, and historians typically wait years or decades before rendering more settled judgments. If you want, I can dig into any specific policy area (economy, foreign policy, immigration, etc.) in more depth.