Fact check: Is Joe Biden worst president United States has ever had

1. Summary of the results

The question of whether Joe Biden is the "worst president ever" cannot be answered definitively, as it involves complex and often subjective assessments. Recent polling shows mixed results:

• A J.L. Partners poll ranked Biden poorly among recent presidents, with 44% placing him in the bottom two ^[1]
• However, a CBS News survey of presidential historians ranked Biden #19 out of 45 presidents, placing him in the middle range ^[1]
• Among Democrats, 22% considered Biden among the worst presidents, while 75% disagreed ^[2]
• Among independents, 53% viewed him negatively, while 40% disagreed ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors need consideration:

• Biden's presidency is still ongoing, making definitive historical assessment premature ^[3]
• Presidential rankings are complex, involving multiple factors including:
• Leadership qualities
• Specific accomplishments
• Crisis management abilities ^[3]
• Historical assessments of presidents often change significantly over time ^[3]
• Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race on July 21 adds another layer of complexity to his legacy assessment ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement presents several problematic aspects:

• It assumes a definitive ranking is possible, when presidential assessment is inherently subjective ^[3]
• It ignores the evolving nature of presidential legacy evaluation ^[3]
• Several groups benefit from pushing particular narratives:
• Political opponents benefit from portraying Biden negatively
• Media organizations benefit from controversial rankings and polls
• Historical institutions and academics tend to take more measured, long-term views, as evidenced by the CBS News historian survey ^[1]
• Current controversies, such as questions about Biden's mental acuity and his son's pardon, may be disproportionately influencing present-day assessments ^[1]