Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, entered office at the age of 82, making him the oldest president in U.S. history. Notably, he was also the first great-grandfather to hold the position. His presidency was defined by a mixed record on foreign policy, domestic legislation, and efforts to prevent a potential return of Donald Trump to power. Despite significant achievements, Biden faced numerous challenges, including a disastrous military withdrawal from Afghanistan and declining approval ratings. In July 2022, Biden announced he would not seek re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
Biden's term began with high expectations but soon encountered substantial hurdles. The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021 was a particularly contentious episode. The hasty evacuation led to the deaths of 13 American service members and enabled the Taliban's swift capture of Kabul. This event significantly marred Biden's foreign policy track record and contributed to a sharp decline in his approval ratings. According to the AP-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research, his approval plummeted from 61% to just 39% by June 2022.
On the domestic front, Biden made strides with landmark legislation. The Inflation Reduction Act aimed to address rising prices by reducing healthcare costs and investing in clean energy initiatives. Additionally, Biden signed the first major federal gun control legislation in nearly three decades, which focused on enhancing background checks for younger buyers. These moves were part of his broader agenda to tackle pressing national issues.
Despite these efforts, Biden's age and fitness for office became a recurring topic of debate. Some Democrats questioned whether he was too old to serve effectively, a sentiment echoed by an unnamed Democratic senator who remarked on Biden's declining capabilities:
"I just was at a meeting with him with several other senators and he couldn’t even function. We can’t run him.”
Criticism extended to Biden's performance in key public appearances. Political commentator Paul Begala described Biden's 2020 debate performance as the worst in modern American history:
"That debate was the worst performance in modern American history, maybe in all American history. I can’t think of anybody as bad. We all talk, oh, Nixon had bad makeup and hadn’t shaved. Biden couldn’t complete a sentence and talked about how we finally beat Medicare."
Internally, there were concerns within the Democratic Party about Biden’s ability to lead effectively into a second term. An unnamed Democratic senator reportedly stated:
"You do realise, off the record, that Joe Biden is not going to be our nominee?"
However, some of Biden's allies defended his record as impactful despite the criticism. Congressman James Clyburn argued that Biden's administration achieved significant substantive outcomes:
"When people are writing the history books, they don’t write about talk and walk. They write about substantive things and, on substance, I defy anybody to show me an administration that has been more impactful on the general public than Biden has been since, I suspect, Lyndon Johnson."
Biden's presidency also faced scrutiny over perceptions of being out of touch with public concerns, particularly regarding inflation and immigration. Political analyst Bill Galston commented on this disconnect:
"It’s bad politically when you’re seen to be worse than wrong, namely out of touch. In the area of prices and also immigration the administration conveyed the impression of believing its own talking points and being out of touch with experiences that millions of Americans were having."
Despite his decision not to run for a second term, some argued that Biden's legacy would be overshadowed by his inability to prevent Donald Trump's political resurgence. Political analyst Charlie Sykes remarked:
"It’s hard to escape the conclusion that, as Biden is leaving office, he’s less transformational figure than historical parenthesis because ultimately he failed to meet the political moment or the essential mission of his presidency."
The midterm election results initially bolstered Biden's position and fueled speculation about his potential re-election bid. However, his decision to step aside in favor of Kamala Harris appeared to stem from party leadership dynamics rather than personal incapacity. Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain noted:
"There was no cover-up. A Democratic congressman ran against him in the primary in 2024, with age as the only issue, and voters overwhelmingly voted for Biden. He left the race to accommodate the wishes of party leaders – not because he could not run."
Biden's presidency was further complicated by controversies such as the pardon of Hunter Biden, which some viewed as a significant breach of trust:
"The Hunter Biden pardon will be the biggest black mark on his presidency because he promised and he gave his word that he wouldn’t do it and then he did it. He was always known, if you liked him or hated him, as someone who kept to his word." – Wendy Schiller
As Biden's tenure drew to a close, assessments of his presidency varied widely. Some viewed him as a disappointment who fell short of expectations. Political analyst Larry Sabato offered a critical perspective:
"Joe Biden reminds me of students I’ve had that I expected to give an A to and I got the final exam in the term paper and I’ve realised the best I can do is B-minus, C-plus. He was so disappointing in the end and he should have known better."