What one thing do you remember most about Joe Biden’s presidency?
We surveyed more than 2,000 Americans this month and asked for their most prominent memory of Mr. Biden’s time in office. Here’s what they said, in their own words.
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“Economy wrecker”
Trump voter in 2024
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“The economy improved”
Harris voter
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“Giving money to Israel and Ukraine”
Harris voter
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“Allowing migrants illegally”
Did not vote
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“Very high border crossings”
Trump voter
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“His declining cognitive abilities”
Harris voter
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“Trying to help the common people”
Harris voter
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“He was a total disaster”
Trump voter
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“A return to normal presidential responsibility and decency”
Harris voter
President Joe Biden will leave office on Monday with a dismal approval rating and a complicated legacy.
Unsurprisingly, Americans’ positive and negative memories of Mr. Biden in a poll conducted by The New York Times and Ipsos this month largely split along partisan lines. Respondents who voted for Donald J. Trump were unsparing in their criticism of Mr. Biden, while those who voted for Kamala Harris had mostly positive views, though some also disapproved.
What they said about Mr. Biden in these open-ended responses offers an early look at his legacy in the public’s mind.
Republicans, in particular, pointed to Mr. Biden’s mental state and age as the top thing they remember. Many Democrats relayed memories of Mr. Biden’s kindness and empathy, while others cited the economy, at times in a positive light and other times negatively. A quarter of respondents could not think of a memory at all or declined to share one.
Thinking back on Joe Biden’s presidency, what one thing do you remember most about his time in office?
Based on a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Top 10 categories shown, excluding “don’t know” or blank responses.
In a separate question, nearly half of Americans said that Mr. Biden left the country worse off than when he took office, just one quarter felt he left it better off, and another 25 percent said things were the same as before he became president.
There was a partisan split on this question, too, but Black and Hispanic Americans were more likely to say Mr. Biden made things worse than better, and Americans under 29 were twice as likely to say Mr. Biden left the country worse off than better off.
Memories of presidents are often not static, and can grow rosier over time, a phenomenon that played out after Mr. Trump’s first term. Here’s a closer look at Americans’ current views of Mr. Biden’s time in office.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was Biden’s age
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“He usually didn’t have a clue what was going on around him”
Trump voter in 2024
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“His declining health and confusion”
Trump voter
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“His dementia”
Trump voter
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“He’s old”
Harris voter
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“His performance in the debate was shocking”
Harris voter
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“I think Joe Biden has a good heart, but he’s too old to be effective”
Harris voter
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“He’s just not all there”
Did not vote
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Many Americans remember Mr. Biden more for his personal characteristics than his policies. Fourteen percent cited his age or perceived mental decline as their most prominent memory, a greater share than any specific policy. Another 4 percent mentioned memories related to his empathy and kindness.
Concern about Mr. Biden’s cognition primarily came from Republicans, though some Democrats and independents also shared misgivings. Many specifically cited his debate performance, which proved to be a turning point in his aborted campaign, as their key memory of his time in office.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was the economy
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“Gas prices skyrocketing”
Did not vote in 2024
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“Out of control spending, reduced energy creation and inflation”
Trump voter
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“He worked hard for the middle class and added protections and laws to help most Americans”
Harris voter
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“High gas prices”
Trump voter
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“I honestly don’t know much of what Joe Biden did, but I know the economy has suffered”
Harris voter
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“Inflation, inflation, inflation”
Trump voter
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“Better economy”
Harris voter
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“Prices have gone way up”
Harris voter
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
During the campaign, voters consistently cited the economy as their most important issue. As Americans look back on Mr. Biden’s time in office, many mentioned economic conditions as their principal recollection.
Republicans pointed to rising prices as the main impact of his presidency, while Democrats were largely more positive, citing the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, many Democrats and independents had concerns about the cost of living.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was immigration
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“Open border”
Trump voter in 2024
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“The huge numbers of illegal immigrants that have entered the country”
Trump voter
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“Unsafe borders, terrible economic policies, weak leadership”
Harris voter
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“So many immigrants living on welfare”
Trump voter
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“Immigration ran amok for several years and now it is too late to try and curtail the problem”
Harris voter
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“His indifference to open borders”
Harris voter
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“Skyrocketing illegal immigration”
Did not vote
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted from Jan. 2-10.
Mr. Trump made Mr. Biden’s immigration policy a core issue in his campaign to return to the White House. Border crossings rose during Mr. Biden’s presidency, creating the largest immigration surge in U.S. history (though crossings plummeted late in his term after he tightened enforcement).
Among Republicans, Mr. Biden’s immigration policies were among the most mentioned memories. These recollections were often expressed with evident frustration, and were frequently intertwined with economic concerns.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was foreign policy
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“Getting out of Afghanistan. It was horrible”
Trump voter in 2024
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“His epic debate failure and his retreat from Afghanistan, sacrificing troops’ lives doing it”
Harris voter
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“Continuing to send weapons overseas during the Israel and Palestine conflict and not allowing Ukraine to use them against Russia”
Harris voter
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“His inability to tell Israel that genocide is wrong, no matter the provocation”
Did not vote
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“More interested in foreign aid than the American people”
Trump voter
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“Helping a lot outside the country”
Harris voter
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“War”
Harris voter
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“Supporting war with billions”
Harris voter
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Americans who mentioned foreign policy mostly looked back on the Biden years as a time of war. Democrats and Republicans alike expressed concern about spending on foreign conflicts that they believed starved domestic spending. Overall, 60 percent of Americans in the survey said the United States was too focused on helping other countries and needed to focus more on problems at home.
Many cited the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as their main memory of Mr. Biden’s time in office. Democrats were especially likely to cite concerns about the deaths of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was pandemic recovery or legislative accomplishments
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“Coming out of Covid, avoiding recession, dealing with global supply issues”
Harris voter in 2024
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“He got us through the pandemic, he probably saved many people from dying of Covid”
Harris voter
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“Covid stimulus and rebuilding the economy after Covid”
Harris voter
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“He fixed us from Covid mess”
Did not vote
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“Build back better”
Harris voter
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“Getting the bipartisan jobs act passed”
Harris voter
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“Infrastructure”
Harris voter
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“Forgiving student debt, Covid lockdowns”
Trump voter
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“His attempt to unburden some of us with student loans”
Harris voter
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“He forgave my loan”
Trump voter
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Few Americans mentioned memories of the pandemic, but those who did remembered Mr. Biden’s work to help pull the country out of it. Many cited his work on the economic recovery after the pandemic and his efforts to avoid a recession.
Some, particularly Democrats, also cited key pieces of post-pandemic legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure spending.
And for a handful, Mr. Biden’s student loan forgiveness was their key memory, including some who had firsthand experience.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was corruption
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“Corrupt”
Trump voter in 2024
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“Corruption to enrich him and his family”
Trump voter
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“Endless scandals and fraud”
Trump voter
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“He is a criminal”
Trump voter
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“Pardoned his son, bad policies”
Did not vote
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“Pardoning his son”
Did not vote
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“The lies and corruption”
Did not vote
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
A small but significant share of Republicans mentioned corruption, with many citing Mr. Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, as evidence.
Taken all together, these responses offer a snapshot in time as Mr. Biden leaves office. History shows that many former presidents later get a reputational boost. This was the case for George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. Time will tell if Mr. Biden will follow a similar path.
