Joe Biden’s successes and failures as US president
Joe Biden is into his final days as US president and doubtless has begun to review his legacy as he prepares to hand over to Republican successor (and predecessor) Donald Trump.
Mr Biden’s four years at the Oval Office coincided with the pandemic still in full force and the start of major wars in Ukraine and Gaza. At 82, he has made history in becoming the oldest-ever president and, now that he is about to step down, he will want to reflect on his achievements.
Here are some of the successes and failures of the Biden administration.
Joe Biden became the oldest-ever US president
AFP via Getty Images
Joe Biden’s successes and failures as US president
The bill was passed without much hold-up, although Mr Biden had wanted to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour but this was rejected.
Mr Biden’s “recovery for everybody” massively increased spending post-Covid-19. Inflation rose to a high of 9.1 per cent in June 2022 but efforts to reduce it were successful and it came down to 2.4 per cent by September 2024. However, food prices did rise by 22 per cent during his presidency.
The US unemployment rate had shrunk from 6.4 per cent under Mr Trump at the end of his term to 4.1 per cent in October 2024 and the stock market also rallied.
“Next month, my administration will end and a new administration will begin,” said Mr Biden. “The new administration’s going to inherit a very strong economy, at least at the moment.
“I know it’s been hard for many Americans to see. And I understand it. They’re just trying to figure out how to put three squares on the table.”
Joe Biden signs a bill in the Oval Office on Thursday
Getty Images
He implemented further checks for people buying guns, ensured greater rights for LGBT marriages and made Juneteenth a federal holiday.
In a final valedictory act, he pardoned his son Hunter – who was facing sentencing in two separate cases. It proved a controversial move as Mr Biden had earlier ruled out such action.
Mr Biden inherited a country that had a high number of illegal entries from Mexico.
He repeatedly pledged to bring the number down but from 2021 to 2023, 2.4 million people annually immigrated to the US by various means – a post-Ellis Island-era record.
But tougher restrictions brought about a fall in the numbers last year and deportations from October 2023 to September 2024 reached the highest level for a decade, reported CNN.
“But the immigration system Mr Biden pledged to fix remains fundamentally broken, and some of his actions at the border moved the problem deeper into the country,” wrote the New York Times.
Mr Biden will hand over the White House to Donald Trump
AP
Mr Biden pledged $370 billion of investment to help fight climate change, reduced taxes to cut the cost of electric vehicles and set goals for net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Having rejoined the Paris climate agreement under Mr Biden, the US could again leave, as it did during the Trump administration.
He said: “I’m the guy that opened up all the assets. I’m the guy that made sure that I got the Egyptians to open the border to let goods through, medicine and food.”
But this is despite the US supporting Israel since the war with Hamas started in October 2023, which is still raging on.
Under his watch, the US provided at least $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel in the first year of the war, according to Al Jazeera data. CNBC reported that he has more recently promised an $8 billion sale of weapons to Israel.
A number of staff have resigned in protest, including Maryam Hassanein who left Mr Biden’s interior cabinet. She said: “I cannot continue working for an administration that ignores the voices of its diverse staff by continuing to fund and enable Israel’s genocide of Palestinian.”
Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky formed a working partnership
AFP via Getty Images
Mr Biden did commit a few too many gaffes
Reuters
His decision to not run for president came after a disastrous head to head against Mr Trump in June, which made many former supporters call for him to stand aside. This was not the case in 2020, when Mr Biden had been seen to win his debates against Mr Trump.
