The Oldest President in American History

Biden was 78 years old at his 2021 inauguration, making him the oldest person ever to become president — a record his own successor, Trump, would go on to surpass by roughly five months at his second inauguration in 2025.

Major Legislative Achievements

Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a roughly $1 trillion investment in roads, bridges, and broadband, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the largest federal climate-related investment in American history alongside prescription drug pricing reforms — genuinely substantial legislative accomplishments passed with varying degrees of bipartisan and purely Democratic support.

Ending the War in Afghanistan

Biden completed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, ending America's longest war. The withdrawal's final weeks were marked by the rapid collapse of the Afghan government, the Taliban's swift takeover of Kabul, and a suicide bombing at Kabul's airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians — a chaotic conclusion that drew significant criticism from across the political spectrum regarding its execution.

Supporting Ukraine Against Russia's Invasion

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Biden's administration coordinated substantial U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine alongside international allies — a major, sustained foreign policy commitment throughout the remainder of his term.

Withdrawing From the 2024 Race

Biden initially sought reelection in 2024, but following a widely-criticized debate performance against Trump in June 2024 that intensified existing public concerns about his age and fitness for office, he withdrew from the race in July 2024 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the general election to Trump.