Was Joe Biden a good president?

Whether Joe Biden was a "good president" is a matter of political opinion rather than an objective fact, and reasonable people disagree based on their values and priorities. Rather than declaring a verdict, I can lay out the major achievements and criticisms that inform different assessments of his presidency.Whether Biden was a "good president" depends heavily on political perspective and which criteria you value—there's no objective consensus. Here's a balanced picture of the main arguments on each side:

Arguments for a positive assessment

Economic recovery & legislation: The administration's economic performance exceeded many forecasters' expectations, especially in job creation, and Biden will be the first president under whom jobs were created during every month they were in office, with the economy creating 2.23 million jobs in the final year of his term. This was driven by significant moves such as the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which instigated significant federal investment in national infrastructure, and the Chips and Science Act, which saw significant investment in the building of microprocessor chip plants.

COVID response: His quick action upon taking office to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including expediting vaccinations and steering the American Rescue Plan to passage, contributed to a "first 100 days" more robust in achievement than perhaps any president since FDR. The American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion relief bill, provided stimulus checks directly to Americans, support for state and local governments and billions of dollars in vaccine distribution.

Healthcare & judiciary: Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act nearly doubled from four years ago, and Biden got more federal judges confirmed than any president in a single term (save Jimmy Carter), including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court.

Foreign policy: His steadfast support for Ukraine and NATO expansion, at a time of creeping autocracy in Europe, was heroic in the eyes of supporters. A 2024 survey of presidential historians ranked Biden the 14th greatest president in U.S. history, based on a survey of social science experts in presidential politics who rated each president on a scale from zero to 100.

Arguments for a negative assessment

Public approval: By the numbers, this is one of the weaker parts of his record. Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history. Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults expect that Joe Biden will go down in history as a below-average or poor president, while 26% say he will be remembered as an average president and 19% as outstanding or above average.

Foreign policy failures: The chaotic nature of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will be seen as one of Biden's failures. Critics on the left were especially harsh on Gaza: the biggest stain on his legacy will forever be his abdication of moral leadership as Israel bombed Gaza; Biden periodically criticized Netanyahu's handling of the war but failed to rein him in, instead ensuring a steady stream of weapons continued to flow into Israel.

The 2024 decision: Many analysts point to his choice to seek reelection as a major misstep. Biden's decision to run for re-election in 2024, given his physical and mental condition, was arguably his biggest mistake, causing a crisis within the Democratic Party and allowing Kamala Harris to become the nominee hastily and without internal party competition.

Immigration and economic pain: Biden's failures in areas such as immigration policies, lack of planning in handling international crises, and weaknesses within his economic team created an environment favorable for Trump's return.

The bottom line

One commentator captured the split well: Joe Biden concludes his single term as, paradoxically, one of the best and worst presidents to occupy the Oval Office. Historians note that it will take years to fully assess Biden's legacy and his lasting imprint on American politics, and even the more favorable historian rankings acknowledge that future assessments will have to incorporate new information not only about his deterioration but also the extent to which he and his staff kept it hidden, the administration's ineffectual handling of the war in Gaza, the president's low standing with the American people at the conclusion of his term.

So the honest answer is: it depends on what you prioritize. If you weight COVID recovery, infrastructure investment, and judicial appointments heavily, you'd lean positive. If you weight the Afghanistan withdrawal, Gaza policy, the 2024 reelection decision, and his historically low approval ratings more heavily, you'd lean negative. What matters most to you in evaluating a presidency?