A new poll has sparked significant debate. It reveals that a majority of Americans believe outgoing President Joe Biden was the worst president in U.S. history, mainly because of his progressive and reckless policies.
The survey by J.L. Partners found widespread dissatisfaction with Biden's handling of key issues such as inflation, immigration, and foreign policy. Americans expressed frustration over rising costs and perceived failures in leadership. While critics argue that his administration's actions have left the nation struggling, his supporters continue to defend his policies, as President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a damaged country.
The poll found that Biden was ranked as the worst president in nearly 50 years— even more unliked than former President Richard Nixon, who resigned before he could be impeached over the Watergate scandal.
Respondents were asked to rank the last nine presidents from best to worst, with the outgoing president ranked last.
Forty-four percent of voters placed Biden as one of the worst two presidents, while 14 percent placed him in the top two.
Former President Jimmy Carter, who faced record-high inflation and the Iran hostage crisis during his presidency, was ranked even higher than Biden.
“There’s always a recency bias, and as Joe Biden is the incumbent, he starts off at a disadvantage there,” James Johnson, cofounder of J.L. Partners, said. “But regardless of that, these numbers are worse than I expected.”
The survey found that Biden had a net score of -30, Nixon had a net score of -25, and President-elect Donald Trump had a net score of -15.
“Voters have obviously looked at his age, general conduct in office, his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, the situation at the southern border, and decided that, in their view, it qualifies him to be the worst president in modern history,” Johnson added. “And that’s the position in which he leaves office. From the man who beat Trump to the man who let him back in, and who voters feel has been fundamentally a bad president.”
