Chart comparison of Biden VS Trump

1. GDP and growth: similar headline growth, different drivers

Comparative charts show broadly comparable GDP outcomes across the two presidencies, but with different compositions: Biden’s era featured consumer spending after the pandemic and public investment, while Trump’s term saw larger relative contributions from private business investment following tax cuts ^{[1] [5]}. Moody’s modeling also projects that if Trump‑style policies return—higher tariffs and tax cuts—growth could be higher short term but accompanied by trade disruption and labor‑market tightness ^[6].

2. Inflation and prices: contested interpretations, shared blame

Inflation rose sharply during the post‑pandemic period that overlapped both administrations, and reporters and fact‑checkers note many viral comparisons misstate or mix averages and totals when attributing inflation to one president ^[4]. FactCheck and other analysts say Biden-era total consumer price increases to a mid‑2024 point were substantially higher than the four years under Trump, but economists also flag external causes—supply shocks and monetary policy—so simple causal charts can mislead ^{[4] [1]}.

3. Jobs and labor markets: low unemployment, but shifting vacancy patterns

Both presidencies saw low unemployment at various points, and job growth patterns reflect different starting conditions—Trump before COVID and Biden during recovery—making apples‑to‑apples charting difficult ^[5]. GIS Reports notes job vacancies rose from the end of Trump’s term into Biden’s, then began to decline, and by mid‑2024 unemployment was about 4.3%—figures any comparative chart must time‑stamp precisely ^[5].

4. Taxes and fiscal policy: tax cuts vs. targeted tax increases

Trump's signature approach centered on the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and subsequent proposals to use tax cuts to spur investment, while Biden has pushed to raise corporate and top‑bracket rates and impose minimum taxes on corporations, alongside expanded public spending—differences easily shown in a two‑column policy chart ^{[7] [2]}. Analysts caution that both administrations have presided over large deficits, so charts focusing solely on headline rates without context on spending and deficit impact are incomplete ^[1].

5. Trade, tariffs and immigration: protectionism vs. managed legal flows

Both presidents have used tariffs, but Trump embraced trade protectionism more aggressively while Biden has favored multilateral cooperation with targeted trade actions; Moody’s warns higher tariffs in a Trump policy mix risk disrupting trade and raising labor costs ^{[6] [1]}. On immigration, policy trackers show Trump favoring strict border controls and enforcement, while Biden’s record involves reversing some Trump measures and streamlining legal processes—PIIE provides side‑by‑side policy tables through June 2024 ^{[8] [9]}.

6. Public perception and polling: sharply polarized confidence

Polling aggregates and indexes show stark partisan divides: Ballotpedia’s polling index reports differing approval averages across administrations, and Pew finds more voters express confidence in Trump on immigration, the economy and foreign policy while Biden rates higher on abortion policy and working across the aisle—data a comparative chart should include to reflect political effect as well as metrics ^{[10] [11]}. Any chart claiming an objective “winner” for the economy risks reflecting partisan framing rather than consensus.

7. Watch out for misleading graphics: timeframes and metrics matter

Multiple outlets and fact‑checkers documented viral graphics that mixed non‑comparable statistics (averages vs. totals, different time spans) to claim one president clearly outperformed the other; those critiques underscore that a responsible chart comparison must use consistent indicators, identical timeframes and cite source data explicitly ^{[3] [4]}. Where reporting is silent or data are still being finalized—such as full 2024 annual updates—caveats belong on the chart itself ^[3].