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GPT-5Oct 31, 2026openai/gpt-5-2025-08-07
Was Joe Biden a good president?
Short answer: it depends on what you value most. Here’s a concise, balanced snapshot of Joe Biden’s presidency up to October 2024 (my latest comprehensive data). If you want an update through 2026 assessments, say the word and I’ll pull it in.
Where supporters say he performed well
•Major laws passed: American Rescue Plan (Mar 2021), bipartisan infrastructure law (Nov 2021), CHIPS and Science Act (Aug 2022), Inflation Reduction Act (Aug 2022); gun‑safety, veterans’ toxic‑exposure (PACT) and marriage‑equality laws.
•Economy and jobs: very rapid post‑pandemic jobs recovery with unemployment hovering near multi‑decade lows in 2022–2023; manufacturing and clean‑energy investment picked up, helped by CHIPS/IRA incentives.
•Health and costs: capped insulin for many Medicare users; expanded ACA subsidies; authorized Medicare drug‑price negotiation.
•Climate/industry policy: rejoined Paris Agreement; largest-ever U.S. climate/clean‑energy package (IRA) while trying to onshore strategic industries (semiconductors, batteries).
•Foreign policy and alliances: rallied NATO/partners to support Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion; deepened Indo‑Pacific ties (e.g., AUKUS; closer work with Japan, South Korea, India).
•Courts and norms: high pace of federal judicial confirmations; appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court; emphasized election norms and democratic institutions.
Where critics say he fell short
•Inflation and affordability: price spikes in 2021–2022 (peaked mid‑2022) eroded purchasing power; mortgage and borrowing costs rose as the Fed hiked rates. Supporters credit global shocks and supply snarls; critics blame fiscal and regulatory choices.
•Border and immigration: record unlawful crossings and strained asylum system; policy shifts (end of Title 42, new restrictions) drew fire from both the right and left.
•Afghanistan withdrawal: August 2021 exit ended a long war but was chaotic with grave short‑term consequences and political costs.
•Energy trade‑offs: approved some fossil projects (e.g., Willow) angering climate advocates; opponents still argue his policies constrained domestic energy.
•Fiscal/student debt: large deficits; broad student‑debt cancellation attempt struck down by the Supreme Court (2023), with narrower relief programs rolled out afterward.
•Public confidence/communication: age and communication style fed concerns about competence among some voters.
How to decide if he was “good” by your lights
•If you prioritize passing major domestic policy, strengthening alliances, climate/industrial policy, and a strong job market, you may rate him positively.
•If you prioritize low inflation/interest rates, strict border enforcement, a different Afghanistan exit, or fewer federal interventions in the economy, you may rate him negatively.
Want me to:
•Update this with 2025–2026 outcomes (e.g., inflation trajectory, border numbers, Ukraine/Israel aid, IRA/CHIPS implementation results)?
•Score him against criteria you pick (economy, foreign policy, costs of living, immigration, climate, rights, norms), with weights you care about?