Was Joe Biden a good president?

Both sidesSays it is contested

Short answer: it depends on what you value. Biden’s one term (January 20, 2021–January 20, 2025) had big legislative wins and a strong recovery from the pandemic slump, alongside high inflation early on, large deficits, a strained border, and a chaotic Afghanistan exit. Public opinion averaged on the low side.

What supporters point to

•Major laws with long-run investments: the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Independent policy trackers describe these as a multi‑trillion‑dollar wave of industrial, infrastructure, and clean‑energy spending.[1]

•Jobs and growth after COVID: unemployment hit a 54‑year low (3.4% in January 2023) and payrolls were far above January 2021 levels by the end of 2024; in September 2026 the unemployment rate was 4.2%.[2]

•Inflation cooled from its June 2022 peak (9.1% year‑over‑year) to 3.7% by September 2026.[3]

•Lower drug costs for seniors: a $35/month insulin cap in Medicare began in 2023, and Medicare’s first negotiated prices for 10 high‑cost drugs take effect January 1, 2026.[4]

•Climate/industry policy: clean‑energy tax credits and the strongest‑ever EPA tailpipe standards for 2027–2032 models; credible projections show accelerated emissions cuts under current policy.[5]

•Public safety trends improved: FBI data show violent crime and homicides fell notably in 2023 (and continued to drop in many cities in 2024).[6]

•Foreign policy: strengthened NATO (Finland joined in 2023; Sweden in 2024) and sustained aid to Ukraine with large, congressionally appropriated packages.[7]

•Courts: unusually high number and diversity of lifetime federal judges confirmed.[8]

What critics point to

•High inflation in 2021–2022: while multiple forces were at work (pandemic supply shocks, energy prices), mainstream analyses say Biden‑era stimulus contributed some to the surge.[9]

•Large deficits: the federal shortfall was about $1.8 trillion in FY2024 (6%+ of GDP).[10]

•Border/migration pressures: record encounters in FY2023–24; in June 2024 the administration imposed tougher asylum limits during high‑encounter periods—controversial and now embedded in DHS rules.[11]

•Afghanistan withdrawal (August 2021): a State Department after‑action review faulted planning and crisis management leading up to the chaotic exit.[12]

How he was judged overall

•Gallup’s full‑term average approval for Biden was about 42%, among the lowest in the post‑WWII era.[13]

Bottom line

•If you prioritize big public investment, lower prescription costs for seniors, stronger climate/industrial policy, the jobs rebound, and NATO’s expansion, you’ll likely rate him positively. If you prioritize low inflation at all times, smaller deficits, tougher border enforcement without new limits on asylum, or judge heavily on the Afghanistan exit, you’ll likely rate him negatively.

If you tell me which issues matter most to you (economy, immigration, foreign policy, climate, courts, etc.), I can give a tailored assessment.

Citations (13)

1brookings.eduNonprofits and think tanks
Getting to effective government | Brookings
Backs: “Independent policy trackers describe these as a multi‑trillion‑dollar wave of industrial, infrastructure, and clean‑energy spending.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Major Biden laws (ARP, infrastructure, CHIPS, IRA) represented a multi-trillion-dollar wave of industrial, infrastructure and clean-energy spending.
2bls.govGovernment
Employment Situation News Release - 2023 M01 Results
Backs: “Jobs and growth after COVID: unemployment hit a 54‑year low (3.4% in January 2023) and payrolls were far above January 2021 levels by the end of 2024; in September 2026 the unemployment rate was 4.2%.”
statistic, official document, points to yes. Claim: Unemployment hit a 54-year low of 3.4% in January 2023.
3bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index News Release - 2022 M06 Results
Backs: “Inflation cooled from its June 2022 peak (9.1% year‑over‑year) to 3.7% by September 2026.”
statistic, official document, points to yes. Claim: Inflation peaked at 9.1% year-over-year in June 2022 before cooling.
4cms.govGovernment
Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act: Update on CMS Implementation | CMS
Backs: “Lower drug costs for seniors: a $35/month insulin cap in Medicare began in 2023, and Medicare’s first negotiated prices for 10 high‑cost drugs take effect January 1, 2026.”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: Medicare $35 insulin cap began 2023 and first negotiated prices for 10 drugs take effect January 2026.
5epa.govGovernment
Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Passenger Cars and Trucks | US EPA
Backs: “Climate/industry policy: clean‑energy tax credits and the strongest‑ever EPA tailpipe standards for 2027–2032 models; credible projections show accelerated emissions cuts under current policy.”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: EPA set strongest-ever tailpipe standards for 2027–2032 models.
6fbi.govGovernment
FBI Releases 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics — FBI
Backs: “FBI data show violent crime and homicides fell notably in 2023 (and continued to drop in many cities in 2024).”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: FBI data show violent crime and homicides fell notably in 2023.
7nato.intGovernment
NATO - News: Finland joins NATO as 31st Ally, 04-Apr.-2023
Backs: “Sweden in 2024) and sustained aid to Ukraine with large, congressionally appropriated packages.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Finland joined NATO in 2023, strengthening the alliance.
8pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
How Biden’s judge appointments compare with other presidents | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Courts: unusually high number and diversity of lifetime federal judges confirmed.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Biden confirmed an unusually high number and diversity of lifetime federal judges.
9frbsf.orgGovernment
How Much Do Supply and Demand Drive Inflation? - San Francisco Fed
Backs: “High inflation in 2021–2022: while multiple forces were at work (pandemic supply shocks, energy prices), mainstream analyses say Biden‑era stimulus contributed some to the surge.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Mainstream analyses say Biden-era stimulus contributed some to the inflation surge.
10cbo.govGovernment
Monthly Budget Review: Summary for Fiscal Year 2024 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “Large deficits: the federal shortfall was about $1.8 trillion in FY2024 (6%+ of GDP).”
statistic, official document, points to no. Claim: Federal deficit was about $1.8 trillion in FY2024, over 6% of GDP.
11dhs.govGovernment
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Backs: “Border/migration pressures: record encounters in FY2023–24; in June 2024 the administration imposed tougher asylum limits during high‑encounter periods—controversial and now embedded in DHS rules.”
evidence, official document, points to no. Claim: Record border encounters in FY2023–24 and tougher asylum limits imposed in June 2024.
12state.govGovernment
Microsoft Word - Final Report Compiled
Backs: “Afghanistan withdrawal (August 2021): a State Department after‑action review faulted planning and crisis management leading up to the chaotic exit.”
evidence, official document, points to no. Claim: State Department after-action review faulted planning and crisis management in the Afghanistan withdrawal.
13gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Backs: “Gallup’s full‑term average approval for Biden was about 42%, among the lowest in the post‑WWII era.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Gallup's full-term average approval for Biden was about 42%, among the lowest post-WWII.