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IS JOE BIDEN THE WORST PRESIDENT
Executive summary
Public opinion and some polls show a significant share of Americans expect Joe Biden’s presidency to be judged negatively — Gallup reports a net score of –35 for Biden vs. Richard Nixon’s –42 in a January survey [1]. But historians and expert rankings give a mixed picture: a 2024 University of Houston scholar survey placed Biden around mid-pack (about #14) while partisan opinion polls and op-eds call him the worst; available sources show disagreement between public sentiment, pundit/partisan claims, and scholarly rankings [2] [3] [1].
1. Public mood: “He’s one of the worst” — but this is about perception, not historiography
Polling data indicate many Americans in late 2024 and early 2025 expected history to remember Biden unfavorably: Gallup’s poll found 54% saying Biden will be “below average” or “poor,” yielding a –35 net rating that most closely matches Richard Nixon’s –42 [1]. Other polls and media reports — such as Daily Mail / J.L. Partners results cited in outlets — similarly put Biden near the bottom in public rankings of recent presidents [3] [4]. These figures show contemporary perceptions can be sharp and partisan; they do not by themselves settle whether Biden is “the worst” in any objective sense [1] [3].
2. When partisans speak: political messaging and rhetorical stakes
Prominent political figures and opinion writers have labeled Biden the worst president. Donald Trump and allied media have repeatedly used that language, framing Biden’s actions on the economy, foreign policy and cognitive fitness as proof [5] [6]. Opinion pages and letters in conservative outlets also call Biden disastrous for events like the Afghanistan withdrawal, border policy, inflation, and fiscal measures [7]. These claims are political arguments designed to influence voters and historical memory; they reflect partisan priorities and often appear in advocacy contexts rather than neutral scholarly assessments [7] [5].
3. Scholarly and expert rankings give a more mixed assessment
Academic surveys and historian rankings do not uniformly place Biden as the worst. A University of Houston-sponsored scholar survey cited in letters found Biden around #14 — behind several recent presidents but not at the absolute bottom; in the same breath scholars listed Trump among the worst [2]. C-SPAN-style long-term rankings and historical reassessment frequently move presidents’ reputations over time; UCL’s Dr. Thomas Gift noted that presidential legacies generally improve with hindsight, suggesting current low public ratings may not be final [8]. Available sources do not present a consensus among historians that Biden is the worst-ever president [2] [8].
4. Policy record vs. popularity: separate measures of “success”
Some analysts argue Biden’s legislative achievements (e.g., infrastructure, climate and social policy measures) mark a consequential presidency, while critics cite issues like inflation, border management, and foreign policy missteps as defining failures [2] [7]. Forbes and opinion writers interpret aggregate public opinion polls as evidence of a poor presidency, but those interpretations mix policy critique with political framing [9]. Fact-checkers and analysts warn against simplistic comparisons — e.g., graphics claiming Biden is clearly worse economically than predecessors have been challenged as misleading [10].
5. Why rankings diverge: methodology, timing, and audience
Differences in outcome stem from who’s asked and how questions are framed. Public polls capture contemporary impressions and partisanship; elite scholar surveys and historical rankings weigh long-term impact, legislative accomplishments, and archival evidence [1] [2]. Media op-eds and partisan statements aim to persuade current readers and voters; they often highlight selected failures or achievements to fit a narrative [7] [5]. The timing of a poll — immediately post-election or during crises — can skew results toward negativity [1].
6. What we can responsibly conclude from available reporting
Available sources show strong and consistent public skepticism about Biden’s legacy as of late 2024–early 2025, with Gallup and other polls recording notably negative net scores [1] [3]. However, scholarly surveys and historical practice do not unanimously label him the worst president in U.S. history; some expert polls place him in the middle and historians expect reputations to change over time [2] [8]. Assertions that he is definitively “the worst president” are partisan claims supported by selective evidence in the sources provided, not by a settled historical consensus [5] [7] [2].
7. Takeaway for readers evaluating the claim
If your question is about current popular opinion, evidence in the reporting supports that many Americans view Biden very unfavorably and some polls rank him low relative to recent presidents [1] [3]. If your question is about historical judgment or objective ranking, available sources show mixed expert views and note that legacies evolve; no clear scholarly consensus in these reports declares Biden the worst president in U.S. history [8] [2].