The 82-year-old president said he has achieved significant wins for the country even though his approval ratings remained persistently low.
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden took office amid one of the most sweeping public health crises in the nation’s history, promising to “restore the soul” of the country and bring unity. As his term comes to an end, his presidency has been met with a mix of praise and criticism, leaving behind a divided legacy.
In his inaugural address in 2021, Biden described the moment as a “winter of peril and possibility.” Four years later, in his farewell speech to the nation on Jan. 15, he expressed pride in his administration’s achievements.
“I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” Biden said, reflecting on the successes and challenges of his tenure.
Some regarded the president a hero, arriving just in time to navigate the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, mandate vaccines, fix supply chains, spur economic growth, and defend democracy. Yet some criticized his presidency because of concerns about government overspending, soaring inflation, escalating wars, and a deepening border crisis.
One of the defining issues of Biden’s presidency was inflation, which hit a 40-year high during his term. Rising grocery and energy costs strained the daily lives of many Americans, especially those in the lower and middle classes, whom Biden had pledged to support.
Though Biden and his administration argued that inflation was a global phenomenon caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, rising costs played a significant role in fueling negative perceptions of his economic agenda, known as “Bidenomics.”
The 82-year-old president said that as he leaves office, he believes he has achieved significant wins for the country. But his approval ratings remained persistently low throughout much of his term.
According to a recent CNN poll, at the end of his presidency, 36 percent of U.S. adults approve of how Biden managed the country. It was the lowest rating of his term.
By Emel Akan and Arjun Singh
