He may be approaching 80 and looking and sounding his age, but President Biden has barely put a foot wrong since taking office in January 2021.
His presidency did not have an auspicious start with a rushed exit from Afghanistan without consultation with allies. Biden was meant to signal a new approach to international relations, but it felt very much ‘Trumpite’ business as usual at the time. Still, he always advocated a withdrawal from Afghanistan, never supporting additional resources in the region under Obama, so perhaps we should have been less surprised.
Since then, however, Biden’s unsung presidency has been hugely successful with a string of legislative successes at home. He passed a $1.9 trillion post-Covid rescue plan which has contributed to the creation of over 6 million jobs. He re-joined the Paris Climate Accords and passed the Inflation Reduction Act driving aggressive action on climate change with the aim of cutting US emissions to half of 2005 levels by 2030.
He passed a long overdue Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law, upgrading rickety infrastructure across America. If that was not enough, a Bi-Partisan Safer Communities Act requiring those under 21 to undergo enhanced background checks was the first, albeit modest, gun control law victory in three decades. He has cut medical costs for ordinary Americans and appointed more moderate federal judges at this stage of his presidency than any president since JFK.
All this against a tiny minority in the Senate which has grown by one since the better than expected mid-terms. By focusing on the Republican Party’s extremism, the Democrats gained in the Senate and restricted losses to only a small number in the House of Representatives.
Biden’s approval ratings languish but inflation needs to continue to come down and many of his legislative achievements will take time to bear fruit. He is certainly well placed to stand again if his health holds up and the Republican’s addiction to Trump and extremism generally continues.
Biden’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been outstanding…
But it is Biden’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that really stands out. Leaking Russian actions in advance has brilliantly helped President Zelenskyy and the West generally win the propaganda war. He has ensured America leads a united West against Russia both morally and with a huge commitment to delivering arms to Ukraine, understanding that a Putin victory is a long-term global threat to all democracies. His visit to Ukraine today was masterly in its timing and substance.
Could you imagine the state of the world if Trump was still President or indeed another extreme Republican? Whatever your politics in the UK, we should applaud this elderly incumbent and sincerely hope he stays around to guide America on its current path.
Inside Right Politics 