The Failure of the Biden Presidency

He will be judged the worst president in the history of the United States.

The Biden presidency represents not merely a failure of governance but a wholesale unraveling of trust, competence, and vision at a time when America could least afford it. Elected on a promise to restore normalcy and unite a divided nation, President Joe Biden has presided over a period of rising domestic dysfunction, international embarrassment, and missed opportunities. His administration has been defined less by its lofty rhetoric and legislative aspirations and more by a persistent inability to deliver results, manage crises, or inspire confidence in his leadership. It has been a circus of lies and deception.

The Economic Betrayal: A Crisis Mismanaged

President Biden’s economic record has become a focal point for his critics who argue that his administration has both misdiagnosed and exacerbated the challenges facing the American people. Inflation, which reached its highest levels in over four decades under his watch, has profoundly undermined the financial stability of working-class families. Grocery bills, gas prices, rent, and other basic costs of living have skyrocketed, erasing wage gains and plunging millions into economic instability.

Analysts argue that much of this was avoidable. The $1.9 trillion *American Rescue Plan (ARP), passed in the early months of his presidency, injected massive amounts of federal money into an economy already buoyed by pre-existing COVID-era stimulus measures. While the ARP temporarily boosted consumer spending and stabilized some sectors, economists across the ideological spectrum warned that its sheer size risked overheating the economy. Larry Summers, a Democrat and former Treasury Secretary, presciently cautioned that the plan could trigger long-term inflationary pressures. These warnings were largely ignored by an administration desperate for a signature achievement.

In response to rising prices, Biden’s messaging has wavered between dismissiveness and blame-shifting. Initially downplaying inflation as "transitory," the administration pivoted to blaming external factors like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. While these events certainly contributed, critics argue that the White House’s failure to take decisive action in the early stages of inflation speaks to a deeper managerial ineptitude. Policies like the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve have done little to provide meaningful relief at the pump, leaving many Americans to wonder whether Biden’s team understands the depth of their struggles.

Meanwhile, economic growth has remained uneven, with recession fears looming over Biden’s presidency. The Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes—a direct response to inflation—have cooled some markets but also risk triggering a slowdown that could disproportionately harm middle- and working-class families. The administration’s inability to coordinate fiscal and monetary policy effectively has become a glaring indictment of Biden’s economic stewardship.

Legislative Paralysis: Overpromising, Underdelivering

Biden entered office with Democratic control of Congress, a narrow but potentially transformative advantage. Yet his presidency has been plagued by an inability to translate legislative promises into meaningful action. Nowhere is this more evident than in the collapse of his *Build Back Better* agenda, an ambitious suite of reforms aimed at addressing climate change, childcare, healthcare, and economic inequality. Despite months of negotiations, internal divisions within the Democratic Party—particularly opposition from Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema—led to the plan’s effective dismantling.

The watered-down *Inflation Reduction Act* (IRA) that eventually emerged bore little resemblance to Biden’s original vision. Stripped of many progressive priorities, it served more as a symbolic victory than a substantive achievement. Even then, the IRA’s impact on inflation—a central claim of its branding—has been negligible, leaving voters skeptical of the administration’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Beyond the IRA, other legislative priorities have fared even worse. Comprehensive voting rights reform, a cornerstone of Biden’s 2020 campaign, has languished in the Senate, stymied by filibuster rules the administration has been unwilling or unable to reform. Immigration policy remains in disarray, with border crossings reaching record highs and the administration drawing criticism from both the left, for failing to enact humane reforms, and the right, for what they perceive as an abdication of border security.

The bipartisan *Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act*, one of Biden’s few clear victories, has also struggled to make an impact. Critics argue that the administration has done a poor job publicizing its achievements and connecting infrastructure spending to tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Americans. In the absence of clear benefits, Republican narratives about wasteful spending have gained traction, further undermining public confidence in Biden’s leadership.

Foreign Policy Failures: A World Stage Mismanaged

On the international front, the Biden administration has faced relentless criticism for a series of missteps that have weakened America’s standing abroad. The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 remains a defining moment of Biden’s presidency. While the decision to end the war was broadly popular, the chaotic execution left allies, veterans, and even many Democrats outraged. The images of desperate Afghans clinging to U.S. aircraft, the abandonment of military equipment, and the tragic loss of 13 U.S. service members in a Kabul airport bombing underscored what critics call a failure of basic planning and foresight.

Beyond Afghanistan, Biden’s foreign policy has been characterized by inconsistency and a lack of long-term vision. While his administration has rallied NATO allies in support of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, critics argue that this effort has come at the expense of addressing pressing domestic issues. Billions of dollars in military aid have flowed to Ukraine, prompting accusations that Biden prioritizes foreign entanglements over the economic struggles of American families. Moreover, the administration’s endgame in Ukraine remains unclear, raising concerns about an indefinite commitment with no clear exit strategy.

Relations with China, America’s principal strategic rival, have also deteriorated under Biden’s leadership. Tensions over Taiwan, trade disputes, and accusations of espionage have created a volatile dynamic, with critics questioning whether the administration has a coherent plan for managing the relationship. Meanwhile, efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal have faltered, leaving another major diplomatic initiative in limbo.

Finally, the Biden administration’s total failure to completely stand behind our most important ally, Israel, has placed the Middle East in peril. Secretary of State Blinken has shuttled between the U.S. and Israel trying to tie the hands of the Israeli armed forces against Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. This has been an international embarrassment for the United States. Biden has betrayed Israel and the people of that country. Many ask why he has given an easy time to the terrorists. Biden plants seeds to further international conflict.

A Crisis of Leadership: Age, Competence, and Public Trust

At the heart of the Biden presidency’s struggles lies a growing perception of weak and ineffective leadership. Biden’s public appearances have been marked by frequent gaffes, stumbles, and moments of apparent confusion that have fueled concerns about his cognitive and physical fitness for office. At 81 years old, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history, and even among Democrats, doubts about his ability to serve a second term have grown increasingly vocal.

This perception of decline extends beyond Biden personally to the administration as a whole. Critics argue that the White House has been reactive rather than proactive, lurching from one crisis to the next without a clear sense of direction. The administration’s messaging has been fragmented and often tone-deaf, failing to inspire confidence or rally the public behind its initiatives.

Biden’s promise to unite a fractured nation has proven equally hollow. Far from bridging the political divide, his presidency has seen partisan animosities deepen, with Republicans seizing control of the House in 2022 and pursuing aggressive investigations into his administration. Biden’s approval ratings have consistently hovered near historic lows, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction across the political spectrum.

A Presidency in Retreat

For critics, the Biden presidency represents not just a series of policy failures but a deeper crisis of leadership and legitimacy. Far from restoring America’s sense of purpose, Biden’s tenure has been marked by missed opportunities, mounting crises, and a growing sense of drift. His defenders may point to external challenges—the pandemic, a polarized Congress, global instability—but these, his detractors argue, only underscore the need for a leader capable of rising to the moment.

Instead, Biden’s presidency risks being remembered as a period of retreat: from bold domestic reform, from competent international leadership, and from the promises that carried him to office. As history assesses his tenure, the harshest critique may well be that in a time of extraordinary challenges, America needed a transformative leader—and got, instead, a presidency defined by its limitations.i