Was Joe Biden a good president?

Evaluating whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a complex and subjective question, with historians, political scientists, and the public holding widely differing views. His presidency (January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025) was marked by significant legislative achievements, major foreign policy crises, and intense economic and political polarization.

To understand his legacy, it is helpful to examine the primary arguments from both his supporters and his critics.

Arguments for a Positive Legacy (The Accomplishments)

Supporters argue that Biden was a highly consequential president who achieved major policy goals under challenging circumstances, including a divided Congress and a deeply fractured country.

Despite narrow congressional majorities, Biden signed several historic, bipartisan, and partisan bills into law. Key legislative achievements included:

Under Biden’s administration, the U.S. economy recovered rapidly from the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment rates dropped to historic lows, and the economy experienced strong GDP growth and record job creation.

Biden restored traditional U.S. alliances, particularly within NATO, following years of strain. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Biden successfully rallied a global coalition to provide financial, humanitarian, and military support to Ukrainian forces.

Biden appointed a historically diverse slate of federal judges, including Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Arguments for a Negative Legacy (The Criticisms)

Critics argue that Biden’s policies worsened domestic challenges, and that key foreign and political decisions weakened both the country and his party.

The most prominent domestic criticism of Biden’s presidency was the surge in inflation, which reached a 40-year high in 2022. While supply chain issues and global energy shocks played a major role, critics (and some economists) argued that Biden’s massive government spending, particularly the American Rescue Plan, overstimulated the economy and drove up prices, leaving many Americans struggling with the cost of groceries, housing, and gas.

The chaotic and rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021 was a major blow to Biden’s foreign policy reputation. The collapse of the Afghan government, the swift return of the Taliban, and a terrorist attack at the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members led to widespread domestic and international criticism, from which his approval ratings never fully recovered.

Critics, particularly Republicans, heavily criticized the Biden administration's handling of the southern U.S. border. Record numbers of migrant crossings strained local resources in several major U.S. cities and became a central political vulnerability for his administration.

Beyond Ukraine, Biden’s foreign policy faced scrutiny. His handling of the Israel-Hamas war alienated different segments of the electorate: progressives and younger voters criticized his continued military support for Israel amid humanitarian crises in Gaza, while conservatives argued his administration was not firm enough against adversaries like Iran.

Biden entered office promising to be a "bridge" to a new generation of leaders and to heal the nation's political divide. However, the country remained deeply polarized. Critics, including some within his own party, argued that his decision to run for a second term, before eventually withdrawing from the race in July 2024 following a poor debate performance, gave his successor Kamala Harris insufficient time to build momentum, ultimately leading to Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.

Conclusion

Historians often judge presidents based on the long-term impact of their policies. Supporters view Biden as a highly effective legislative leader who successfully navigated the country out of a global pandemic and passed foundational economic and environmental reforms. Critics, on the other hand, point to persistent inflation, border security issues, foreign policy crises, and the ultimate return of Donald Trump to the White House as defining failures of his single term.