Was Joe Biden a good president?
No, there is no objective “yes” or “no”—whether Joe Biden was a “good” president is inherently subjective and depends on one’s priorities (e.g., economic metrics vs. inflation pain, legislative output vs. border security, foreign policy activism vs. execution flaws), values, and partisan lens. Historians and the public will debate his one-term record (2021–2025) for decades, as with most presidents. Early public polls show majority negative views of his legacy, while some scholarly assessments credit substantial accomplishments overshadowed by high-profile setbacks and political dynamics.[1]
Biden left office with low approval ratings (around 37–42% in final Gallup and other averages, down from an initial ~57%), after hovering mostly in the high 30s to low 40s for much of his term following an early drop. His average was among the lower ones historically for modern presidents.[[2]](/statistics/data/joseph-r-biden-public-approval)[3]
Major Achievements and Strengths
Supporters highlight a productive legislative record despite slim congressional majorities, a strong post-COVID recovery on several metrics, and restored alliances:
White House and progressive sources frame this as transformative “Bidenomics” investing in the middle class, climate, and competitiveness. Some historians have ranked him respectably in early surveys (e.g., around 14th in one pre-end-of-term poll), citing rescue from prior chaos and traditional leadership.[9]
Major Criticisms and Weaknesses
Critics (across the spectrum, though sharper from the right) point to inflation’s impact on living costs, border management, execution failures, and later-term issues:
Public opinion at exit was dim: Gallup found 54% expecting history to rate him “below average” or “poor” (net similar to Nixon in one framing); AP-NORC and others showed only ~25% calling him great/good, with many “average” or worse, weaker than Obama or even Trump’s first-term exit views in some polls. Partisanship dominates—Democrats more positive, Republicans overwhelmingly negative, independents lean critical.[1][17]
Bottom Line
Biden delivered major bipartisan and partisan legislation with durable infrastructure/climate/tech impacts, oversaw a robust (if uneven and inflationary) recovery from COVID depths with strong job/GDP numbers, and reasserted U.S. alliances amid great-power competition. These are substantive positives by conventional presidential metrics.[8]
However, high inflation’s pocketbook pain, the Afghanistan debacle’s visuals and fallout, record migration encounters, and late-term fitness/reelection missteps defined the public narrative and contributed to Democratic losses. Many Americans felt the economy’s “vibes” poorly despite stats, and his term ended with Trump’s return.[18]
History often revises (Carter and others improved with time; some one-termers fare poorly). Early academic takes credit policy wins but note how inflation, immigration, Gaza, and personal decline overshadowed them. “Good” hinges on weighting: if you prioritize jobs/legislation/alliances and discount inflation/border optics, stronger case; if cost-of-living, security, and competence dominate, weaker. Partisan media amplifies one side. For primary sources, check Gallup/RCP for polls, BLS/BEA for economy, CBP for border data, and White House/Congress records for laws.
Citations (18)
- https://news.gallup.com/poll/654878/americans-think-history-rate-biden-presidency-negatively.aspx
Backs: “Early public polls show majority negative views of his legacy, while some scholarly assessments credit substantial accomplishments overshadowed by high-profile setbacks and political dynamics.”
- /statistics/data/joseph-r-biden-public-approval
Backs: “His average was among the lower ones historically for modern presidents.[[2]](/statistics/data/joseph-r-biden-public-approval)”
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_approval_rating
Backs: “His average was among the lower ones historically for modern presidents.[[2]](/statistics/data/joseph-r-biden-public-approval)”
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/01/10/bidens-final-labor-numbers-lowest-unemployment-since-clinton-marred-by-inflation/
Backs: “Wages rose nominally, though real gains were more mixed after inflation.”
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/economy/us-biden-economic-legacy
Backs: “Wages rose nominally, though real gains were more mixed after inflation.”
- https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/administration-fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-record
Backs: “Wages rose nominally, though real gains were more mixed after inflation.”
- https://www.axios.com/2024/07/21/biden-legacy-election-2024
Backs: “These advanced manufacturing, green energy, and infrastructure with lasting effects and private investment leverage.”
- https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/bidens-legacy-major-accomplishments-unfinished-business
Backs: “These advanced manufacturing, green energy, and infrastructure with lasting effects and private investment leverage.”
- https://nytimes.com/2024/02/18/us/politics/biden-trump-presidential-rankings.html
Backs: “Some historians have ranked him respectably in early surveys (e.g., around 14th in one pre-end-of-term poll), citing rescue from prior chaos and traditional leadership.”
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2024/11/01/how-the-economy-really-fared-under-bidenharris-and-trump-from-jobs-to-inflation-final-update/
Backs: “Causes were multi-factorial and global (pandemic supply shocks, demand rebound, Russia-Ukraine war/energy spikes), but many economists (including some left-leaning) say large fiscal stimulus like the ARP added 1–4+ percentage points by boosting demand amid constraints. The Fed’s rate hikes followed.”
- https://washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/10/09/inflation-economy-biden-covid
Backs: “Causes were multi-factorial and global (pandemic supply shocks, demand rebound, Russia-Ukraine war/energy spikes), but many economists (including some left-leaning) say large fiscal stimulus like the ARP added 1–4+ percentage points by boosting demand amid constraints. The Fed’s rate hikes followed.”
- https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/sep/08/donald-trump/fact-checking-donald-trump-on-the-scale-and-causes/
Backs: “Causes were multi-factorial and global (pandemic supply shocks, demand rebound, Russia-Ukraine war/energy spikes), but many economists (including some left-leaning) say large fiscal stimulus like the ARP added 1–4+ percentage points by boosting demand amid constraints. The Fed’s rate hikes followed.”
- 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: “Critics called it a crisis of fentanyl, strained cities, and security; defenders noted global migration pressures, legal processing, and enforcement numbers.”
- https://ohss.dhs.gov/khsm/cbp-encounters
Backs: “Critics called it a crisis of fentanyl, strained cities, and security; defenders noted global migration pressures, legal processing, and enforcement numbers.”
- https://nationalinterest.org/feature/joe-bidens-legacy-never-recovered-afghan-withdrawal-212120
Backs: “It was the planned end of a 20-year war (building on a Trump-Taliban deal), and some later argued it was strategically correct long-term (no major al-Qaeda reconstitution per some intel), but the optics and planning failures damaged approval permanently and were widely seen as a blunder.”
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-republicans-release-report-blaming-biden-for-chaoitc-end-to-u-s-war-in-afghanistan
Backs: “It was the planned end of a 20-year war (building on a Trump-Taliban deal), and some later argued it was strategically correct long-term (no major al-Qaeda reconstitution per some intel), but the optics and planning failures damaged approval permanently and were widely seen as a blunder.”
- https://apnorc.org/projects/bidens-legacy-as-president/
Backs: “Partisanship dominates—Democrats more positive, Republicans overwhelmingly negative, independents lean critical.”
- https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/01/how-biden-destroyed-his-legacy/681342/
Backs: “Many Americans felt the economy’s “vibes” poorly despite stats, and his term ended with Trump’s return.”