Was Joe Biden a good president?

No, there is no objective yes/no answer—“good president” is inherently subjective and depends on one’s values, priorities (e.g., economy vs. borders vs. foreign alliances vs. social issues), and metrics for success. Public opinion at the end of his term (2021–2025) was largely negative, with low approval ratings and many viewing his presidency as below average or a failure, though supporters highlight major legislative wins and economic recovery metrics, while critics emphasize inflation, the border, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and concerns about his fitness.[1]

Historians note that legacies often improve or shift over time as short-term pains (like inflation or chaotic exits) fade and longer-term effects (infrastructure projects, alliances, climate investments) become clearer. Biden left office after dropping out of the 2024 race amid age/fitness concerns, with Democrats losing the White House.

Public Opinion and Approval

Biden entered with a honeymoon high around 57% approval but never recovered above 50% after the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. His term average was about 42.2% (Gallup), among the lowest postwar (comparable to or slightly better than Trump’s first-term average of ~41%). He ended in the high 30s to low 40s.[2]

Polls on legacy were poor: Gallup found 54% expected history to rate him “below average” or “poor” (only 19% outstanding/above average); similar results from other surveys showed majorities viewing the presidency more as a failure. Views were highly polarized—stronger among Democrats, very negative among Republicans and many independents.[3]

Economic Record

•Strengths: Strong job growth (~15–16+ million jobs added), consecutive months of gains, unemployment falling from ~6.7% at inauguration to lows of 3.4% (near 50-year lows for extended periods) and ending around 4%. Real GDP growth was solid (averages cited around 3%+ annualized in parts of the term, outperforming some prior periods after the pandemic rebound). Record-low unemployment for some demographic groups at points; manufacturing and investment boosted by policy.[4]

•Weaknesses: High inflation peaking at 9.1% (highest in decades), with cumulative consumer price increases around 20% over the term. This eroded real wages/purchasing power for many, especially lower-income households, and became a dominant voter concern. Causes debated (pandemic stimulus/American Rescue Plan spending, supply chains, energy, Russia-Ukraine war). Inflation later moderated toward Fed targets.[5]

Overall economic performance mixed: robust recovery and labor market vs. cost-of-living pain that overshadowed gains for many Americans.

Major Legislative and Domestic Achievements

With narrow congressional majorities, Biden passed significant bills:

•American Rescue Plan (COVID relief).

•Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (~$1.2 trillion): roads, bridges, broadband, water, etc.—major long-term investment.

•CHIPS and Science Act: semiconductor manufacturing and tech competitiveness (national security angle vs. China).

•Inflation Reduction Act: largest U.S. climate/clean energy investment, some healthcare provisions (Medicare drug price negotiation, insulin caps at $35 for seniors), deficit reduction elements.

•Other: Expanded ACA enrollment/health coverage; first major gun safety law in decades (Bipartisan Safer Communities Act); PACT Act (veterans’ toxic exposure benefits); Ketanji Brown Jackson as first Black woman on the Supreme Court; efforts on opioids (overdose deaths declined from peaks); marijuana pardons.[6]

These advanced climate, industrial policy, and social goals, often with bipartisan elements on infra/CHIPS. Implementation and durability depend on future administrations.

Foreign Policy

•Positives: Rallying/supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion (aid, NATO unity—more members meeting spending goals; Finland/Sweden accession); strengthened Indo-Pacific alliances (AUKUS, Quad, etc.) to counter China; restored some traditional alliances post-Trump; over-the-horizon counterterrorism (e.g., killing al-Qaeda’s Zawahiri); ended the U.S. combat role in Afghanistan (longest war).[6]

•Negatives/Criticisms: Chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal—Taliban rapid takeover, 13 U.S. service members killed in a bombing, messy evacuation, abandoned allies/equipment, damage to credibility. Planning criticized across administrations, but execution fell heavily on Biden. Handling of Israel-Hamas war (post-Oct 2023) drew criticism from multiple sides (insufficient restraint or insufficient support). Border-related migration pressures and perceptions of weakness.[7]

Major Criticisms and Challenges

•Immigration/Border: Record-high encounters (millions at the southwest border; totals cited exceeding 8–10+ million nationwide encounters over the term, far above prior periods). High gotaways, releases into the U.S., strain on cities/resources, and security concerns. Numbers later fell with executive actions and Mexico cooperation, but the surge defined much of the term for critics.[8]

•Age, cognitive fitness, and decision-making questions intensified after the poor June 2024 debate, leading to his withdrawal from the race. Special counsel comments and insider accounts fueled perceptions of decline.

•Other: Persistent polarization (little success “unifying”); student loan forgiveness efforts (partial, legally challenged); crime perceptions in some cities; Hunter Biden pardon (after pledges not to); energy policy debates.

•Failed to prevent Trump’s 2024 return, which many saw as central to his mandate against Trumpism.

Bottom Line

Biden’s presidency featured consequential domestic legislation addressing infrastructure, climate, tech, and healthcare, plus a strong post-COVID labor market recovery and assertive (if imperfect) support for Ukraine and alliances. These could form a durable positive legacy for some. However, high inflation’s lived impact, the border crisis, the botched Afghanistan exit, and personal/age-related issues dominated public perception, leading to low approval, a negative short-term historical rating in polls, and Democratic electoral losses.[1]

Whether he was “good” hinges on weighting: if prioritizing industrial policy, climate action, job numbers, and multilateralism, stronger case; if prioritizing price stability, border control, military competence optics, and vigor in office, weaker. Partisan lenses dominate current views. Long-term assessments will depend on outcomes of his laws, geopolitical results, and comparisons to predecessors/successors.

Citations (8)

1newsweek.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-approval-rating-presidency-2017585
Backs: “Public opinion at the end of his term (2021–2025) was largely negative, with low approval ratings and many viewing his presidency as below average or a failure, though supporters highlight major legislative wins and economic recovery metrics, while critics emphasize inflation, the border, the Afghanistan withdrawal,…”
2ucsb.eduAcademic
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/joseph-r-biden-public-approval
Backs: “His term average was about 42.2% (Gallup), among the lowest postwar (comparable to or slightly better than Trump’s first-term average of ~41%). He ended in the high 30s to low 40s.”
3gallup.comCompanies
https://news.gallup.com/poll/654878/americans-think-history-rate-biden-presidency-negatively.aspx
Backs: “Views were highly polarized—stronger among Democrats, very negative among Republicans and many independents.”
4cnn.comNews and mediaquality 0.66
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/economy/us-biden-economic-legacy?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo
Backs: “Record-low unemployment for some demographic groups at points; manufacturing and investment boosted by policy.”
5factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
https://www.factcheck.org/2024/10/bidens-numbers-2024-pre-election-update/
Backs: “Causes debated (pandemic stimulus/American Rescue Plan spending, supply chains, energy, Russia-Ukraine war). Inflation later moderated toward Fed targets.”
6cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
https://www.cfr.org/articles/bidens-legacy-major-accomplishments-unfinished-business
Backs: “Ketanji Brown Jackson as first Black woman on the Supreme Court; efforts on opioids (overdose deaths declined from peaks); marijuana pardons.”
7newsweek.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-biggest-blunders-mistakes-white-house-legacy-2016765
Backs: “Border-related migration pressures and perceptions of weakness.”
8washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/02/11/trump-biden-immigration-border-compared/
Backs: “Numbers later fell with executive actions and Mexico cooperation, but the surge defined much of the term for critics.”