Was Joe Biden a good president?

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a matter of opinion and depends heavily on political perspective, priorities, and values—there's no objective, universally agreed-upon answer. I can lay out the major points commonly raised on both sides so you can form your own judgment.Whether Biden was a "good" president isn't something I can answer definitively—it's a subjective judgment that depends on your priorities and values. But here's a balanced rundown of the major arguments on each side, based on expert analysis and data:

Arguments for a positive assessment

Economic recovery: His administration guided through a divided Congress major investments including infrastructure, semiconductor, and clean-energy legislation, helping move the U.S. out of the pandemic emergency. He helped move the United States out of the pandemic emergency and secured substantial infrastructure, semiconductor and clean-energy legislation. Supporters argue this produced record employment, reduced inflation, higher wages, and a dramatic drop in childhood poverty.

Climate policy: Biden took significant steps by rejoining the Paris Agreement and passing supportive legislation for clean energy, with the Inflation Reduction Act allocating $369 billion for renewable energy and tackling climate change.

Foreign policy/alliances: Biden reestablished the United States' credentials as the world's leading democracy, with the U.S. image abroad sharply rebounding, and he repaired relations with NATO allies, an effort that paid off after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

COVID response: His administration's handling of the pandemic contrasted with the chaos of the Trump administration, articulating a clear plan and implementing an effective vaccine rollout.

Arguments for a negative assessment

Afghanistan withdrawal: Widely seen as his most damaging moment — thirteen U.S. military members died during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021, and Biden's popularity never recovered.

Inflation and economic perception: Despite economic gains, Harris' election defeat was largely attributed to voter dissatisfaction with the economy, including decades-high inflation, and Biden faced criticism for failing to effectively communicate accomplishments—his administration called rising inflation "temporary," but voters simply saw prices increase.

Border/immigration: Illegal migrant crossings surged after he rolled back Trump-era policies, peaking at a record 249,741 encounters in December 2023, and this lack of early attention to border issues was seen as a major misstep.

Israel-Gaza: He sustained criticism for providing continuing support to Israel amid its military campaign against Hamas, with civilian deaths in Gaza described as excessive and the humanitarian crisis as avoidable.

Age/communication concerns and his decision to seek reelection also factored heavily into criticism of his legacy.

The numbers

By the numbers, his presidency was historically unpopular: Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second-lowest in Gallup polling history, with near-record party polarization. He enjoyed ratings above 50% during his first six months, but once support declined mid-way through his first year, it never recovered.

One analyst summed up the mixed verdict: "The strongest judgement is that Biden was a consequential legislator who failed to convert his achievements into lasting public confidence."

Bottom line: If you weight legislative accomplishments, pandemic management, and alliance-building heavily, you might rate him favorably. If you weight the Afghanistan withdrawal, inflation, and border policy more heavily, you'd likely rate him poorly. Most mainstream assessments land somewhere in between — a president with real accomplishments whose public perception was dragged down by crises and communication failures.