Was Joe Biden a good president?
Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is inherently subjective. It depends on one's priorities (e.g., economic growth vs. inflation control, climate action vs. energy costs, strong alliances vs. isolationism, immigration enforcement levels), political values, and how one weighs achievements against shortcomings. Biden (2021–2025) served one term marked by major legislative wins amid a narrow congressional majority, post-COVID recovery, geopolitical crises, and low public approval for much of his tenure. Historians will likely debate his legacy for years; early assessments highlight both substantial accomplishments and significant failures or controversies.[1]
Economic Record
Biden oversaw a strong recovery from the COVID-19 recession in key metrics:
Criticisms center on inflation and costs of living. CPI rose ~21–21.5% cumulatively over his term (peak year-over-year ~9.1% in mid-2022, highest in ~40 years), driven by pandemic supply shocks, stimulus spending, energy prices (exacerbated by Russia's Ukraine invasion), and strong demand. Real wages lagged for periods; gasoline and groceries saw sharp rises that hit households hard even as inflation later cooled to ~3%. Many Americans felt the economy was poor despite strong aggregates—a "vibecession" dynamic that hurt his polling. Critics (including some economists) argued the large 2021 stimulus overheated the economy.[3]
Domestic Policy Achievements and Shortfalls
Positives:
Negatives:
Foreign Policy
Strengths: Restored alliances (NATO stronger, more members meeting spending targets); led Western support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion (critical aid helping Ukraine hold territory); ended the Afghanistan war (U.S. combat role concluded after 20 years); advanced Indo-Pacific partnerships and technology restrictions on China; supported Israel after Oct. 7, 2023, while pushing for humanitarian measures.[1]
Weaknesses: Chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal (rapid Taliban takeover, 13 U.S. service members killed in a bombing, stranded allies, damage to credibility). Criticisms of Ukraine aid pace/delays from some; deep divisions over Gaza (left criticized U.S. support for Israel amid high civilian casualties; right criticized insufficient backing or constraints). Broader perceptions of American decline or weakness in some circles.[8]
Public Opinion and Overall Assessment
Biden entered with solid approval (~50s) amid COVID optimism but saw it drop after Afghanistan and inflation, hovering in the high 30s–low 40s for years. He left office around 36–40% approval (CNN/Gallup/others), with majorities viewing his presidency more as a failure than success in exit polls; retrospective views were negative. Partisan gaps were extreme.[9]
In summary, Biden delivered consequential bipartisan and partisan legislation on infrastructure, tech, climate, and healthcare that supporters credit with long-term economic and environmental benefits, plus a solid jobs recovery and alliance-building. Detractors emphasize inflation's pain, the border surge, the Afghanistan exit, cognitive/age issues that undermined leadership, and failure to unify or fully deliver on transformative goals—contributing to Democratic losses in 2024. "Good" hinges on whether one prioritizes the legislative output and recovery metrics or the cost-of-living hit, security perceptions, and political execution. Objective data supports both strong claims of success in specific domains and clear evidence of major political and policy shortfalls.
Citations (9)
- https://www.cfr.org/articles/bidens-legacy-major-accomplishments-unfinished-business
Backs: “Historians will likely debate his legacy for years; early assessments highlight both substantial accomplishments and significant failures or controversies.”
- https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/administration-fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-record
Backs: “Unemployment averaged around 4.1% (well below historical norms), hit lows near 3.4%, and reached record or near-record lows for Black and Latino Americans, women, and other groups.”
- https://www.factcheck.org/2025/10/bidens-final-numbers/
Backs: “Real GDP grew solidly (around 2.5–3+% annually in later years; cumulative growth notable). The stock market rose substantially.”
- https://www.vox.com/climate/362478/joe-biden-climate-change-legacy
Backs: “IRA as largest U.S. clean energy investment; rejoined Paris Agreement; major conservation (hundreds of millions of acres); phasedown of potent greenhouse gases.”
- https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2024/joe-biden-accomplishments-compromises-failures-president/
Backs: “First Black woman on the Supreme Court (Ketanji Brown Jackson); diverse federal judiciary appointments; veterans' benefits expansion (PACT Act); some opioid/mental health measures; progress on child poverty temporarily via expanded Child Tax Credit.”
- https://homeland.house.gov/2024/10/24/startling-stats-factsheet-fiscal-year-2024-ends-with-nearly-3-million-inadmissible-encounters-10-8-million-total-encounters-since-fy2021/
Backs: “Defenders noted global migration drivers and eventual declines.”
- https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/01/how-biden-destroyed-his-legacy/681342/
Backs: “Visible decline, a poor 2024 debate performance, and delayed decision to exit the race damaged his party and contributed to perceptions of weakness. The Hunter Biden pardon drew bipartisan criticism.”
- https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-biggest-blunders-mistakes-white-house-legacy-2016765
Backs: “Broader perceptions of American decline or weakness in some circles.”
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/15/politics/cnn-poll-biden-presidency
Backs: “He left office around 36–40% approval (CNN/Gallup/others), with majorities viewing his presidency more as a failure than success in exit polls; retrospective views were negative. Partisan gaps were extreme.”