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{{Short description|President of the United States since 2021}}{{Redirect2|Joseph Biden|Biden|his son, Joseph Biden III|Beau Biden||Biden (disambiguation)}}{{pp-move}}{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}{{Use American English|date=February 2019}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}

factoids

| birth_place = Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.Democratic Party (United States)>Democratic (since 1969)Independent politician>Independent (before 1969)

• {{marriage|Neilia Hunter|August 27, 1966|December 18, 1972|reason=died{edih}
• {{marriage|Jill Jacobs|June 17, 1977|}}

}}

• Beau
• Hunter
• Naomi
• Ashley

{edih}| relatives = Biden family

• Politician
• lawyer
• author

{edih}| residence = White House

• University of Delaware (BA)
• Syracuse University (JD)

{edih}List of awards and honors received by Joe Biden>Full list| signature = Joe Biden Signature.svg| signature_alt = Cursive signature in ink

• {{Official website|joebiden.com|name=Campaign website}}
• {{Official website|whitehouse.gov/administration/president-biden/|name=White House website}}

}}| footnotes = {{Collapsible list|titlestyle = background:lavender;text-align:center;|title = Other offices|bullets = onUnited States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control>International Narcotics Control CaucusBiden held the chairmanship from January 3 to 20, then was succeeded by Jesse Helms until June 6, and thereafter held the position until 2003.}}–2003, 2007–2009: Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations CommitteeUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary>Senate Judiciary Committee| 1971–1973: Member of the New Castle County Council from the 4th district }}pos=centerfilename=Joe Biden speaks on U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul.oggtype=speechBiden speaks on the 2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Fall of Kabul (2021)>fall of Kabul.|Recorded August 16, 2021}}}}}}Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|aɪ|d|ən|audio=En-us-Biden2.ogg}} {{respell|BY|dən}}; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 under President Barack Obama and represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009.Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden moved with his family to Delaware in 1953. He graduated from the University of Delaware before earning his law degree from Syracuse University. He was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970 and to the U.S. Senate in 1972. As a senator, Biden drafted and led the effort to pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Violence Against Women Act. He also oversaw six U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings, including the contentious hearings for Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Biden ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 2008. In 2008, Obama chose Biden as his running mate, and he was a close counselor to Obama during his two terms as vice president. In the 2020 presidential election, Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, defeated incumbents Donald Trump and Mike Pence. He is the oldest president in U.S. history, and the first to have a female vice president.As president, Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recession. He signed bipartisan bills on infrastructure and manufacturing. He proposed the Build Back Better Act, which failed in Congress, but aspects of which were incorporated into the Inflation Reduction Act that he signed into law in 2022. Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. He worked with congressional Republicans to resolve the 2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis by negotiating a deal to raise the debt ceiling. In foreign policy, Biden restored America's membership in the Paris Agreement. He oversaw the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that ended the war in Afghanistan, during which the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban seized control. He responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russia and authorizing civilian and military aid to Ukraine. During the Israel–Hamas war, Biden condemned the actions of Hamas and other Palestinian militants as terrorism, announced military support for Israel, and ordered the U.S. military to build a port to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.WEB,weblink Biden Ordering US Military to Build Port in Gaza to Facilitate Aid, March 7, 2024, In April 2023, Biden announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential election.{{TOC limit}}

Early life (1942–1965)

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on November 20, 1942,{{CongBio |id=b000444 |name=Joseph R. Biden|inline=YES|access-date=January 20, 2021}} at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania,{{sfn|Witcover|2010|p=5}} to Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden (née Finnegan) and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr.NEWS, Chase, Randall, January 9, 2010, Vice President Biden's mother, Jean, dies at 92, WITN-TV, Associated Press,weblink January 24, 2021, May 20, 2020,weblink dead, NEWS, Smolenyak, Megan, Megan Smolenyak, September 3, 2002, Joseph Biden Sr., 86, father of the senator, The Baltimore Sun,weblink April 15, 2020, December 30, 2019,weblink live, The oldest child in a Catholic family of English, French, and Irish descent, he has a sister, Valerie, and two brothers, Francis and James.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=8–9}}Biden's father had been wealthy and the family purchased a home in the affluent Long Island suburb of Garden City in the fall of 1946,MAGAZINE, The New Yorker, August 15, 2022, August 25, 2022, Adam, Entous, The Untold History of the Biden Family,weblink August 25, 2022,weblink live, but he suffered business setbacks around the time Biden was seven years old,NEWS, Russell, Katie, January 8, 2021, Joe Biden's family tree: how tragedy shaped the US president-elect, The Daily Telegraph,weblink December 1, 2020, 0307-1235, January 8, 2021,weblink live, BOOK, Biden, Joe, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics, 2008, Random House, 978-0-8129-7621-2, 16–17, {{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=7–8}} and for several years the family lived with Biden's maternal grandparents in Scranton.NEWS, Broder, John M., October 23, 2008, Father's Tough Life an Inspiration for Biden, The New York Times,weblink October 24, 2008, November 8, 2020,weblink live, Scranton fell into economic decline during the 1950s and Biden's father could not find steady work.NEWS, Rubinkam, Michael, August 27, 2008, Biden's Scranton childhood left lasting impression, Fox News, Associated Press,weblink September 7, 2008, January 15, 2021,weblink live, Beginning in 1953 when Biden was ten,NEWS,weblink Joe Biden, who left Scranton at 10, 'deserted' Pennsylvania, Farzan, Antonia Noori, May 21, 2019, The Washington Post, November 7, 2021, November 5, 2020,weblink live, the family lived in an apartment in Claymont, Delaware, before moving to a house in nearby Mayfield.WEB, Ebert, Jennifer, Joe Biden's houses, Homes and Gardens, January 20, 2021,weblink September 18, 2021, September 18, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Newman, Meredith, How Joe Biden went from 'Stutterhead' to senior class president, The News Journal, June 24, 2019,weblink September 18, 2021, November 3, 2020,weblink live, Biden Sr. later became a successful used-car salesman, maintaining the family in a middle-class lifestyle.Almanac of American Politics 2008, p. 364.At Archmere Academy in Claymont,{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=27, 32}} Biden played baseball and was a standout halfback and wide receiver on the high school football team.NEWS, Frank, Martin, September 28, 2008, Biden was the stuttering kid who wanted the ball, D.1, The News Journal,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130601081204weblink">weblink June 1, 2013, Though a poor student, he was class president in his junior and senior years.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=40–41}}{{sfn|Taylor|1990|p=99}} He graduated in 1961.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=40–41}} At the University of Delaware in Newark, Biden briefly played freshman football,Biden, Promises to Keep, pp. 27, 32–33.NEWS, Domenico, Montanaro, Fact Check: Biden's Too Tall Football Tale,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121221225751weblink">weblink December 21, 2012, NBC News, October 16, 2012, and, as an unexceptional student, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 with a double major in history and political science.{{sfn|Taylor|1990|p=98}}Biden had a stutter and has mitigated it since his early twenties.WEB, Biden, Joseph R. Jr., July 9, 2009, Letter to National Stuttering Association chairman,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110728173845weblink">weblink July 28, 2011, December 9, 2010, National Stuttering Association, He has described his efforts to reduce it by reciting poetry before a mirror.{{sfn|Taylor|1990|p=99}}WEB, Janet, Hook, September 16, 2019, Joe Biden's childhood struggle with a stutter: How he overcame it and how it shaped him,weblink July 24, 2020, Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2019,weblink live, Biden is a teetotaler. He has said he abstains from alcohol because there were "too many alcoholics in my family".WEB, Leibovich, Mark, Riding the Rails with Amtrack Joe, The Caucus, The New York Times, 16 September 2008,weblink 10 April 2024,weblink 28 September 2017,

Marriages, law school, and early career (1966–1973)

{{See also|Family of Joe Biden}}(File:Neilia Hunter, Joe, Hunter, Naomi Christina, and Beau Biden, c. 1972.jpg|thumb|upright|Neilia Hunter, Joe, Hunter, Naomi Christina and Beau Biden, {{circa|1972}})Biden married Neilia Hunter, a student at Syracuse University, on August 27, 1966,NEWS, August 23, 2008, A timeline of U.S. Sen. Joe Biden's life and career, San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press,weblink dead, September 6, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080925021142weblink">weblink September 25, 2008, NEWS, Weiss, Abby, The One: Joe Biden's 1st wife Neilia Biden shaped his life, career while at Syracuse,weblink June 13, 2023, The Daily Orange, February 24, 2022, June 22, 2023,weblink live, after overcoming her parents' disinclination for her to wed a Catholic. Their wedding was held in a Catholic church in Skaneateles, New York.Biden, Promises to Keep, pp. 32, 36–37. They had three children: Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III, Robert Hunter Biden, and Naomi Christina "Amy" Biden.(File:Joe Biden in 1968 Edition of Onondagan Yearbook.jpg|thumb|upright|Biden in the Syracuse 1968 yearbook)Biden earned a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. He ranked 76th in a class of 85 students after failing a course because he plagiarized a law review article for a paper he wrote in his first year at law school. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969.Biden clerked at a Wilmington law firm headed by prominent local Republican William Prickett in 1968 and, he later said, "thought of myself as a Republican".NEWS, Leubsdorf, Carl P., September 6, 1987, Biden Keeps Sights Set On White House, The Dallas Morning News,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210103080715weblink">weblink live, Reprinted in NEWS,weblink Lifelong ambition led Joe Biden to Senate, White House aspirations, August 23, 2008, The Dallas Morning News, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080919060037weblink">weblink September 19, 2008, NEWS, Barrett, Laurence I., June 22, 1987, Campaign Portrait, Joe Biden: Orator for the Next Generation, Time (magazine), Time,weblink January 24, 2021, November 13, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20201113235512weblink">weblink dead, He disliked incumbent Democratic Delaware governor Charles L. Terry's conservative racial politics and supported a more liberal Republican, Russell W. Peterson, who defeated Terry in 1968. Local Republicans attempted to recruit Biden, but he registered as an Independent because of his distaste for Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon.In 1969, Biden practiced law, first as a public defender and then at a law firm headed by a locally active Democrat,Current Biography Yearbook 1987, p. 43. who named him to the Democratic Forum, a group trying to reform and revitalize the state party;{{sfn|Witcover|2010|p=86}} Biden subsequently reregistered as a Democrat. He and another attorney also formed a law firm. Corporate law did not appeal to him, and criminal law did not pay well. He supplemented his income by managing properties.NEWS, Palmer, Nancy Doyle, February 1, 2009, Joe Biden: 'Everyone Calls Me Joe', Washingtonian (magazine), Washingtonian,weblink February 4, 2009, July 31, 2016,weblink live, Biden ran for the 4th district seat on the New Castle County Council in 1970 on a liberal platform that included support for public housing in the suburbs.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|p=59}}NEWS, Harriman, Jane, December 31, 1969, Joe Biden: Hope for Democratic Party in '72?, 3, Newspapers.com,weblink May 1, 2019, August 2, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200802170920weblink">weblink live, The seat had been held by Republican Henry R. Folsom, who was running in the 5th District following a reapportionment of council districts.WEB,weblink Republican Information Center: 1970 List of Candidates, Delaware Republican State Headquarters, 1970, University of Delaware Library Institutional Repository, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, January 13, 2021, 11, January 15, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, October 1, 1969, County Ponders Housing Code,weblink The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 2, Newspapers.com, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Lockman, Norm, December 20, 1969, New Housing Code Favored for County,weblink The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 2, Newspapers.com, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, Biden won the general election, defeating Republican Lawrence T. Messick, and took office on January 5, 1971.NEWS, January 2, 1971, County Council to Take Oath,weblink The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 4, Newspapers.com, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, January 6, 1971, Conner Calls Shake of 7 Lucky Omen for Council,weblink The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 3, Newspapers.com, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, He served until January 1, 1973, and was succeeded by Democrat Francis R. Swift.NEWS, Frump, Bob, November 8, 1972, GOP Decade Ends with Slawik Win,weblink The News Journal, Wilmington, DE, 3, Newspapers.com, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, {{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=52–64}} During his time on the county council, Biden opposed large highway projects, which he argued might disrupt Wilmington neighborhoods.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=52–64}}Biden had not openly supported or opposed the Vietnam War until he ran for Senate and opposed Richard Nixon's conduct of the war.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=50, 75}} While studying at the University of Delaware and Syracuse University, Biden obtained five student draft deferments at a time when most draftees were sent to the war. Based on a physical examination, he was given a conditional medical deferment in 1968; in 2008, a spokesperson for Biden said his having had "asthma as a teenager" was the reason for the deferment.NEWS, Caldera, Camille, Fact check: Biden, like Trump, received multiple draft deferments from Vietnam,weblink April 3, 2021, USA Today, September 16, 2020, June 30, 2021,weblink live,

1972 U.S. Senate campaign in Delaware

Biden defeated Republican incumbent J. Caleb Boggs to become the junior U.S. senator from Delaware in 1972. He was the only Democrat willing to challenge Boggs and, with minimal campaign funds, he was thought to have no chance of winning. Family members managed and staffed the campaign, which relied on meeting voters face-to-face and hand-distributing position papers,NEWS, Naylor, Brian, October 8, 2007, Biden's Road to Senate Took Tragic Turn, NPR,weblink September 12, 2008, September 11, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080911183158weblink">weblink live, an approach made feasible by Delaware's small size. He received help from the AFL–CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell. His platform focused on the environment, withdrawal from Vietnam, civil rights, mass transit, equitable taxation, health care and public dissatisfaction with "politics as usual". A few months before the election, Biden trailed Boggs by almost thirty percentage points, but his energy, attractive young family, and ability to connect with voters' emotions worked to his advantage, and he won with 50.5% of the vote.

Death of wife and daughter

A few weeks after Biden was elected senator, his wife Neilia and one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping in Hockessin, Delaware, on December 18, 1972.NEWS, December 19, 1972, Biden's Wife, Child Killed in Car Crash, The New York Times,weblink 9, January 8, 2021, UPI, 0362-4331, December 2, 2020,weblink live, Neilia's station wagon was hit by a semi-trailer truck as she pulled out from an intersection. Their sons Beau (aged{{nbsp}}3) and Hunter (aged{{nbsp}}2) were in the car, and were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Beau with a broken leg and other wounds and Hunter with a minor skull fracture and other head injuries.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=93, 98}} Biden considered resigning to care for them, but Senate majority leader Mike Mansfield persuaded him not to.NEWS, Levey, Noam M., August 24, 2008, In his home state, Biden is a regular Joe, Los Angeles Times,weblink September 7, 2008, December 30, 2019,weblink live, Biden contemplated suicide and was filled with anger and religious doubt.NEWS, Cohen, Max, August 17, 2020, Biden says he thought about suicide after 1972 death of his wife and daughter, Politico,weblink NEWS, Bedigan, Mike, April 26, 2024, Biden opens up about contemplating suicide after tragic deaths of first wife and daughter, The Independent,weblink He wrote that he "felt God had played a horrible trick" on him,Biden, Promises to Keep, p. 81 and had trouble focusing on work.NEWS, Bumiller, Elisabeth, Elisabeth Bumiller, December 14, 2007, Biden Campaigning With Ease After Hardships, The New York Times,weblink September 13, 2008, December 10, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081210154755weblink">weblink live, NEWS, August 1, 2007, On Becoming Joe Biden, Morning Edition, NPR,weblink September 12, 2008, September 9, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080909093445weblink">weblink live,

Second marriage

File:Joe and Jilly Biden early photo.jpg|thumb|Biden and his second wife, JillJillBiden met teacher Jill Tracy Jacobs in 1975 on a blind date.NEWS, Seelye, Katharine Q., August 24, 2008, Jill Biden Heads Toward Life in the Spotlight, The New York Times,weblink live, August 25, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081210193454weblink">weblink December 10, 2008, They married at the United Nations chapel in New York on June 17, 1977.NEWS, Dart, Bob, October 24, 2008, Bidens met, forged life together after tragedy, Orlando Sentinel, Cox News Service,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink October 20, 2020, Biden, Promises to Keep, p. 117. They spent their honeymoon at Lake Balaton in the Hungarian People's Republic.NEWS,weblink Biden és felesége 1977-ben a Balatonnál voltak nászúton, Sarkadi, Zsolt, 444.hu, November 8, 2020, November 8, 2020, hu, November 8, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink US election: What does Joe Biden's win mean for Brexit Britain and Europe?, Katya, Adler, BBC News, November 8, 2020, November 9, 2020, November 10, 2020,weblink live, Biden credits her with the renewal of his interest in politics and life.Biden, Promises to Keep, p. 113. Biden is Roman Catholic and attends Mass with his wife, Jill, at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware.NEWS, Parishioners not surprised to see Biden at usual Mass, Gibson, Ginger, The News Journal, August 25, 2008, A.12,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130601093036weblink">weblink June 1, 2013, August 29, 2021, NEWS, Yuan, Jada, October 28, 2021, Jill Biden paid a surprise visit to the woman who helped her regain faith in God, The Washington Post,weblink February 8, 2023, March 6, 2023,weblink live, NEWS, Stravinskas, Peter M.J., January 27, 2023, Some questions about the Bidens' 1977 Catholic wedding, The Catholic World Report,weblink February 8, 2023, March 5, 2024,weblink live, Their daughter, Ashley Biden, is a social worker and is married to physician Howard Krein.NEWS,weblink Ashley Biden and Howard Krein, The New York Times, June 3, 2012, ST15, January 24, 2021, November 1, 2020,weblink live, Beau Biden became an Army judge advocate in Iraq and later Delaware attorney general;NEWS, August 23, 2008,weblink Biden's Foreign Policy Background Carries Growing Cachet, Cooper, Christopher, The Wall Street Journal, August 20, 2008, A4, June 1, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130601130450weblink">weblink live, he died of brain cancer in 2015.NEWS,weblink Phil, Helsel, Beau Biden, Son of Vice President Joe Biden, Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer, NBC News, May 31, 2015, December 30, 2019, January 22, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Paul, Kane, May 31, 2015, The Washington Post, Family losses frame Vice President Biden's career,weblink December 30, 2019, December 30, 2019,weblink live, Hunter Biden worked as a Washington lobbyist and investment adviser; his business dealings and personal life came under significant scrutiny during his father's presidency.NEWS, Schwartz, Emma, August 24, 2008, My Son, The Lobbyist: Biden's Son a Well-Paid DC Insider,weblink January 4, 2023, ABC News, January 4, 2023,weblink live, NEWS, Levenson, Michael, August 11, 2023, A Timeline of Hunter Biden's Life and Legal Troubles, The New York Times,weblink September 28, 2023, 0362-4331, September 28, 2023,weblink live,

Teaching

From 1991 to 2008, as an adjunct professor, Biden co-taught a seminar on constitutional law at Widener University School of Law.WEB, Evon, Dan, Did Biden Teach Constitutional Law for 21 Years?,weblink July 8, 2021, Snopes, October 16, 2020, November 10, 2021,weblink live, WEB, Miriam, Fauzia, Fact check: If he loses election, Biden said he wants to teach, but where is uncertain,weblink October 28, 2020, August 29, 2021, USA Today, November 1, 2020,weblink live, He sometimes flew back from overseas to teach the class.WEB, Faculty: Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081006123224weblink">weblink October 6, 2008, September 24, 2008, Widener University School of Law, WEB, November 6, 2008, Senator Biden becomes Vice President-elect,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090105150946weblink">weblink January 5, 2009, November 26, 2008, Widener University School of Law, NEWS, Purchla, Matt, August 26, 2008, For Widener Law students, a teacher aims high, Metro International, Metro Philadelphia,weblink dead, September 25, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081004214751weblink">weblink October 4, 2008, NEWS, Carey, Kathleen E., August 27, 2008, Widener students proud of Biden, Delaware County Daily and Sunday Times,weblink dead, September 25, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080919152356weblink">weblink September 19, 2008,

U.S. Senate (1973–2009)

Senate activities

File:Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter.jpg|thumb|Biden with President (Jimmy Carter]], 1979|alt=Scanned photo of Biden and Carter smiling at each other in the Oval Office. On the photo, Carter wrote: "Best wishes to my friend Joe Biden")File:Biden-Church-Sadat.jpg|thumb|right|Biden (left) and Frank Church (middle) with president of Egypt Anwar el-Sadat after signing the Egypt–Israel peace treatyEgypt–Israel peace treatySecretary of the Senate Francis R. Valeo swore Biden in at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center in January 1973.NEWS, January 6, 1973, Oath Solemn, 11, Spokane Daily Chronicle, Associated Press,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, {{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=93, 98}} Present were his sons Beau (whose leg was still in traction from the automobile accident) and Hunter and other family members.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=93, 98}} At age 30, he was the seventh-youngest senator in U.S. history.NEWS, Rosenwald, Michael S., January 11, 2021, Biden, once one of the nation's youngest senators, will be its oldest president, The Washington Post,weblink January 4, 2023, March 7, 2023,weblink live, To see his sons, Biden traveled by train between his Delaware home and D.C.NEWS, Pride, Mike, December 1, 2007, Biden a smart guy who has lived his family values, Concord Monitor,weblink dead, October 4, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071203001952weblink">weblink December 3, 2007, —74 minutes each way—and maintained this habit throughout his 36 years in the Senate.Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, Biden was reelected in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008, regularly receiving about 60% of the vote. He was junior senator to William Roth, who was first elected in 1970, until Roth was defeated in 2000.NEWS, Wald, Matthew L., December 15, 2003, William V. Roth Jr., Veteran of U.S. Senate, Dies at 82, The New York Times,weblink January 4, 2023, 0362-4331, January 4, 2023,weblink live, {{As of|2024}}, he was the 19th-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.WEB, Longest Serving Senators,weblink live,weblink September 19, 2018, August 26, 2018, United States Senate, United States Senate, During his early years in the Senate, Biden focused on consumer protection and environmental issues and called for greater government accountability.NEWS, July 15, 1974, 200 Faces for the Future, Time (magazine), Time,weblink August 23, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130813045404weblink">weblink August 13, 2013, In a 1974 interview, he described himself as liberal on civil rights and liberties, senior citizens' concerns and healthcare, but conservative on other issues, including abortion and military conscription.NEWS, Kelley, Kitty, June 1, 1974, Death and the All-American Boy, Washingtonian (magazine), Washingtonian,weblink March 8, 2020, November 10, 2020,weblink live, Biden was the first U.S. senator to endorse Jimmy Carter for president in the 1976 Democratic primary.NEWS, April 29, 2021, Biden and Carter, longtime allies, reconnect in Georgia,weblink May 13, 2023, Associated Press News, May 13, 2023,weblink live, Carter went on to win the Democratic nomination and defeat incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election. Biden also worked on arms control.Current Biography Yearbook 1987, p. 45. After Congress failed to ratify the SALT II Treaty signed in 1979 by Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev and President Jimmy Carter, Biden met with Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko to communicate American concerns and secured changes that addressed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's objections.BOOK, Salacuse, Jeswald W.,weblink Leading Leaders: How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich and Powerful People, American Management Association, 2005, 978-0-8144-0855-1, p. 144. He received considerable attention when he excoriated Secretary of State George Shultz at a Senate hearing for the Reagan administration's support of South Africa despite its continued policy of apartheid.In the mid-1970s, Biden was one of the Senate's strongest opponents of race-integration busing. His Delaware constituents strongly opposed it, and such opposition nationwide later led his party to mostly abandon school integration policies.NEWS, Gadsden, Brett, May 5, 2019, Here's How Deep Biden's Busing Problem Runs, Politico,weblink live, May 5, 2019,weblink May 5, 2019, In his first Senate campaign, Biden had expressed support for busing to remedy de jure segregation, as in the South, but opposed its use to remedy de facto segregation arising from racial patterns of neighborhood residency, as in Delaware; he opposed a proposed constitutional amendment banning busing entirely.{{sfn|Gadsden|2012|p=214}} Biden supported a 1976 measure forbidding the use of federal funds for transporting students beyond the school closest to them. He co-sponsored a 1977 amendment closing loopholes in that measure, which President Carter signed into law in 1978.BOOK, Raffel, Jeffrey A.,weblink Historical Dictionary of School Segregation and Desegregation: The American Experience, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998, 978-0-313-29502-7, 90, January 24, 2021,weblink September 30, 2020, live, File:President Ronald Reagan meeting with Senators Joe Biden and William Cohen.jpg|thumb|Biden shaking hands with President alt=Photo of Biden shaking hands with Reagan in the Oval OfficeBiden became ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1981. He was a Democratic floor manager for the successful passage of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act in 1984. His supporters praised him for modifying some of the law's worst provisions, and it was his most important legislative accomplishment to that time.Current Biography Yearbook 1987, p. 44. In 1994, Biden helped pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which included a ban on assault weapons,NEWS, Fifield, Anna, January 4, 2013, Biden faces key role in second term, Financial Times,weblink January 24, 2021, July 20, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Scherer, Michael, January 16, 2013, America's New Gunfight: Inside the Campaign to Avert Mass Shootings, Time (magazine), Time,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink January 3, 2021, Cover story. and the Violence Against Women Act,NEWS, Finley, Bruce, September 19, 2014, Biden: Men who don't stop violence against women are "cowards", The Denver Post,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151013133013weblink">weblink October 13, 2015, August 29, 2021, which he has called his most significant legislation.WEB, Domestic Violence,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080822144642weblink">weblink August 22, 2008, September 9, 2008, United States Senate, Biden senate website, The 1994 crime law was unpopular among progressives and criticized for resulting in mass incarceration;NEWS, Herndon, Astead W., January 21, 2019, On King Holiday, Democrats Convey Hope, Remorse and Invective Against Trump, The New York Times,weblink January 21, 2019, 0362-4331, November 10, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Jonathan, Martin, Alexander, Burns, January 6, 2019,weblinkweblink Biden in 2020? Allies Say He Sees Himself as Democrats' Best Hope, live, November 10, 2020, August 29, 2021, The New York Times, in 2019, Biden called his role in passing the bill a "big mistake", citing its policy on crack cocaine and saying that the bill "trapped an entire generation".NEWS, Schor, Elana, Kinnard, Meg, Biden says he regrets 1990s crime bill, calls it a 'big mistake' at MLK Day event,weblink July 20, 2021, The News Journal, Associated Press, January 21, 2019, July 4, 2021,weblink live, File:President Bill Clinton meeting with Senator Joe Biden and Janet Reno in the Oval Office (06).jpg|thumb|right|Biden meeting with attorney general Janet RenoJanet RenoBiden voted for a 1993 provision that deemed homosexuality incompatible with military life, thereby banning gays from serving in the armed forces.NEWS, Epstein, Reid J., Lerer, Lisa, September 20, 2019, Joe Biden Has Tense Exchange Over L.G.B.T.Q. Record, The New York Times,weblink April 15, 2020, 0362-4331, April 16, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Del Real, Jose A., Sanders attacks Biden's record on gay rights and women's issues,weblink March 8, 2020, April 15, 2020, The Washington Post, March 8, 2020,weblink live, In 1996, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, thereby barring individuals in such marriages from equal protection under federal law and allowing states to do the same.NEWS, Nagourney, Adam, Kaplan, Thomas, June 21, 2020, Behind Joe Biden's Evolution on L.G.B.T.Q. Rights, The New York Times,weblink January 4, 2023, 0362-4331, June 1, 2021,weblink live, In 2015, the act was ruled unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges.NEWS, de Vogue, Ariane, Diamond, Jeremy, Supreme Court rules states must allow same-sex marriage,weblink June 27, 2015, June 12, 2019, CNN, June 27, 2015,weblink live, Biden was critical of Independent Counsel Ken Starr during the 1990s Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal investigations, saying "it's going to be a cold day in hell" before another independent counsel would be granted similar powers.Almanac of American Politics 2000, p. 372. He voted to acquit during the impeachment of President Clinton.NEWS, February 12, 1999, How the senators voted on impeachment, CNN,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink January 3, 2021, During the 2000s, Biden sponsored bankruptcy legislation sought by credit card issuers. Clinton vetoed the bill in 2000, but it passed in 2005 as the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, with Biden being one of only 18 Democrats to vote for it, while leading Democrats and consumer rights organizations opposed it.NEWS, Pilkington, Ed, December 2, 2019, How Biden Helped Create the Student Debt Problem He Now Promises to Fix, The Guardian,weblink March 8, 2020, March 6, 2020,weblink live, As a senator, Biden strongly supported increased Amtrak funding and rail security.NEWS, Verma, Pranshu, October 24, 2020, Biden, an Amtrak Evangelist, Could Be a Lifeline for a Rail Agency in Crisis, The New York Times,weblink November 19, 2020, 0362-4331, November 19, 2020,weblink live,

Brain surgeries

In February 1988, after several episodes of increasingly severe neck pain, Biden underwent surgery to correct a leaking intracranial berry aneurysm.NEWS, Altman, Lawrence K., February 23, 1998, The Doctor's World; Subtle Clues Are Often The Only Warnings Of Perilous Aneurysms, The New York Times,weblink August 23, 2008, April 28, 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Many Holes in Disclosure of Nominees' Health, Altman, Lawrence K., The New York Times, October 19, 2008, October 26, 2008, February 25, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100225194337weblink">weblink live, While recuperating, he suffered a pulmonary embolism, a serious complication. After a second aneurysm was surgically repaired in May,NEWS,weblink Biden Resting After Surgery For Second Brain Aneurysm, Associated Press, The New York Times, May 4, 1988, January 24, 2021, January 5, 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210105212210weblink">weblink live, Biden's recuperation kept him away from the Senate for seven months.NEWS,weblink V.P. candidate profile: Sen. Joe Biden, Associated Press, The Seattle Times, August 23, 2008, September 7, 2008, Calvin, Woodward, December 30, 2019,weblink live,

Senate Judiciary Committee

File:Biden Crime Bill.jpg|thumb|Biden speaking at the signing of the 1994 Crime Bill with President alt=Photo of Senator Biden giving a speech, with uniformed law enforcement officers in the backgroundBiden was a longtime member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He chaired it from 1987 to 1995 and was a ranking minority member from 1981 to 1987 and again from 1995 to 1997.WEB, Previous Committee Chairman,weblink May 14, 2023, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, May 11, 2023,weblink live, As chair, Biden presided over two highly contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings. When Robert Bork was nominated in 1988, Biden reversed his approval{{mdashb}} given in an interview the previous year{{mdashb}} of a hypothetical Bork nomination. Conservatives were angered,{{sfn|Bronner|1989|pp=138–139, 214, 305}} but at the hearings' close Biden was praised for his fairness, humor, and courage.{{sfn|Bronner|1989|pp=138–139, 214, 305}}NEWS,weblink Washington Talk: The Bork Hearings; For Biden: Epoch of Belief, Epoch of Incredulity, Greenhouse, Linda, The New York Times, October 8, 1987, Linda Greenhouse, January 24, 2021, January 11, 2021,weblink live, Rejecting the arguments of some Bork opponents, Biden framed his objections to Bork in terms of the conflict between Bork's strong originalism and the view that the U.S. Constitution provides rights to liberty and privacy beyond those explicitly enumerated in its text. Bork's nomination was rejected in the committee by a 5–9 vote and then in the full Senate, 42–58.NEWS,weblink Senate's Roll-Call On the Bork Vote, October 24, 1987, The New York Times, Associated Press, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, During Clarence Thomas's nomination hearings in 1991, Biden's questions on constitutional issues were often convoluted to the point that Thomas sometimes lost track of them,{{sfn|Mayer|Abramson|1994|pp=213, 218, 336}} and Thomas later wrote that Biden's questions were akin to "beanballs".NEWS, Clarence Thomas: A Silent Justice Speaks Out: Part VI: Becoming a Judge—and perhaps a Justice, Greenburg, Jan Crawford, ABC News, September 30, 2007,weblink October 18, 2008,weblink June 22, 2011, dead, After the committee hearing closed, the public learned that Anita Hill, a University of Oklahoma law school professor, had accused Thomas of making unwelcome sexual comments when they had worked together.NEWS,weblink Nina Totenberg, NPR Biography, May 31, 2008, NPR, April 14, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080414042451weblink">weblink live, NEWS, Excerpt from Nina Totenberg's breaking National Public Radio report on Anita Hill's accusation of sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas.,weblink October 5, 2008, October 6, 1991, NPR, February 21, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090221202700weblink">weblink live, Biden had known of some of these charges, but initially shared them only with the committee because Hill was then unwilling to testify. The committee hearing was reopened and Hill testified, but Biden did not permit testimony from other witnesses, such as a woman who had made similar charges and experts on harassment.NEWS,weblink Biden and Anita Hill, Revisited, Phillips, Kate, The New York Times, August 23, 2008, September 12, 2008, September 11, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080911204456weblink">weblink live, The full Senate confirmed Thomas by a 52–48 vote, with Biden opposed. Liberal legal advocates and women's groups felt strongly that Biden had mishandled the hearings and not done enough to support Hill. In 2019, he told Hill he regretted his treatment of her, but Hill said afterward she remained unsatisfied.NEWS,weblink Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says 'I'm Sorry' Is Not Enough, Stolberg, Sheryl Gay, April 25, 2019, The New York Times, April 25, 2019, Martin, Jonathan, 0362-4331, April 25, 2019,weblink live,

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

File:Bill Clinton and officials on Air Force One.jpg|thumb|Senator Biden accompanies President Clinton and other officials to alt=Photo of Clinton, his senior officials, and Biden on Air Force OneBiden was a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He became its ranking minority member in 1997 and chaired it from June 2001 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009. His positions were generally liberal internationalist.NEWS,weblink In Biden, Obama chooses a foreign policy adherent of diplomacy before force, Gordon, Michael R., The New York Times, August 24, 2008, November 5, 2009, Michael R. Gordon, February 27, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130227192937weblink">weblink live, He collaborated effectively with Republicans and sometimes went against elements of his own party. During this time he met with at least 150 leaders from 60 countries and international organizations, becoming a well-known Democratic voice on foreign policy.NEWS,weblink Meetings with Foreign Leaders? Biden's Been There, Done That, Kessler, Glenn, The Washington Post, September 23, 2008, November 5, 2009, Glenn Kessler (journalist), January 12, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120112112314weblink">weblink live, Biden voted against authorization for the Gulf War in 1991,NEWS,weblink Joe Biden respected—if not always popular—for foreign policy record, Richter, Paul, Levey, Noam N., Los Angeles Times, August 24, 2008, November 5, 2009, May 2, 2019,weblink live, siding with 45 of the 55 Democratic senators. He said the U.S. was bearing almost all the burden in the anti-Iraq coalition.NEWS,weblink Congress Acts to Authorize War in Gulf, Clymer, Adam, The New York Times, January 13, 1991, Adam Clymer, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, Biden became interested in the Yugoslav Wars after hearing about Serbian abuses during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. Once the Bosnian War broke out, Biden was among the first to call for the "lift and strike" policy. The George H. W. Bush administration and Clinton administration were both reluctant to implement the policy, fearing Balkan entanglement. In April 1993, Biden held a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević.NEWS,weblink Biden Played Less Than Key Role in Bosnia Legislation, Kessler, Glenn, The Washington Post, October 7, 2008, November 5, 2009, Glenn Kessler (journalist), August 26, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090826101923weblink">weblink live, Biden worked on several versions of legislative language urging the U.S. toward greater involvement. Biden has called his role in affecting Balkan policy in the mid-1990s his "proudest moment in public life" related to foreign policy. In 1999, during the Kosovo War, Biden supported the 1999 NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia. He and Senator John McCain co-sponsored the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution, which called on Clinton to use all necessary force, including ground troops, to confront Milošević over Yugoslav actions toward ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.NEWS,weblink Biden, McCain Have a Friendship—and More—in Common, Holmes, Elizabeth, The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2008, November 5, 2009, October 16, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151016194520weblink">weblink live,

Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

File:Joe Biden addresses the press after having a brief meeting with Iraq's interim Prime Minister lyad Allawi.jpg|thumb|Biden addresses the press after meeting with Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in alt=refer to captionBiden was a strong supporter of the War in Afghanistan, saying, "Whatever it takes, we should do it."MAGAZINE, Crowley, Michael, Hawk Down,weblink The New Republic, Even before Obama announced his run for president, Biden was warning that Afghanistan, not Iraq, was the 'central front' in the war against Al Qaeda, requiring a major U.S. commitment. 'Whatever it takes, we should do it,' Biden said in February 2002., September 24, 2009, January 24, 2021, October 16, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151016194518weblink">weblink live, As head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said in 2002 that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was a threat to national security and there was no other option than to "eliminate" that threat.NEWS,weblink Meet the Press, MTP Transcript for April 29, 2007, Tim, Russert, NBC News, April 29, 2007, 2, Tim Russert, January 24, 2021, December 8, 2020,weblink live, In October 2002, he voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, approving the U.S. Invasion of Iraq. As chair of the committee, he assembled a series of witnesses to testify in favor of the authorization. They gave testimony grossly misrepresenting the intent, history, and status of Saddam and his secular government, which was an avowed enemy of al-Qaeda, and touted Iraq's fictional possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction.{{#invoke:cite news||first=Mark|last=Weisbrot|author-link=Mark Weisbrot|date=February 18, 2020|access-date=August 28, 2021|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/17/joe-biden-role-iraq-war |title=Joe Biden championed the Iraq war. Will that come back to haunt him now?|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109174540weblink|archive-date=January 9, 2021|work=The Guardian}} Biden eventually became a critic of the war and called his vote and role a "mistake" but did not push for withdrawal. He supported the appropriations for the occupation, but argued that the war should be internationalized, that more soldiers were needed, and that the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about its cost and length.Almanac of American Politics 2008, p. 365.By late 2006, Biden's stance had shifted considerably. He opposed the troop surge of 2007, saying General David Petraeus was "dead, flat wrong" in believing the surge could work.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Traub|first=James|author-link=James Traub|date=November 24, 2009|title=After Cheney |page=MM34 |magazine=The New York Times Magazine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/magazine/29Biden-t.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103084703weblink|archive-date=January 3, 2021}} Biden instead advocated dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three ethnic states.NEWS,weblink Divided They Stand, but on Graves, Thom, Shanker, The New York Times, August 19, 2007, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, Rather than continue the existing approach or withdrawing, the plan called for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=572–573}} In September 2007, a non-binding resolution endorsing the plan passed the Senate,NEWS, Parker, Ned, Salman, Raheem, October 1, 2007, U.S. vote unites Iraqis in anger, Los Angeles Times,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink January 3, 2021, but the idea failed to gain traction.

1988 and 2008 presidential campaigns

1988 campaign

(File:Joe Biden speaks at a presidential campaign event, 1987.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Biden speaks at a campaign event, 1987)Biden formally declared his candidacy for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination on June 9, 1987.NEWS, Dionne, E. J. Jr., E. J. Dionne, June 10, 1987, Biden Joins Campaign for the Presidency, The New York Times,weblink January 24, 2021, November 5, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171105150453weblink">weblink live, He was considered a strong candidate because of his moderate image, his speaking ability, his high profile as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the upcoming Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination hearings, and his appeal to Baby Boomers; he would have been the second-youngest person elected president, after John F. Kennedy.NEWS, Toner, Robin, August 31, 1987, Biden, Once the Field's Hot Democrat, Is Being Overtaken by Cooler Rivals, The New York Times,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, {{sfn|Taylor|1990|p=83}} He raised more in the first quarter of 1987 than any other candidate.{{sfn|Taylor|1990|p=83}}By August his campaign's messaging had become confused due to staff rivalries,{{sfn|Taylor|1990|pp=108–109}} and in September, he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.NEWS, Dowd, Maureen, Maureen Dowd, September 12, 1987, Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo From Abroad, The New York Times,weblink January 24, 2021, February 15, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170215003637weblink">weblink live, Biden's speech had similar lines about being the first person in his family to attend university. Biden had credited Kinnock with the formulation on previous occasions,NEWS, Randolph, Eleanor, September 13, 1987, Plagiarism Suggestion Angers Biden's Aides, A6, The Washington Post,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, but did not on two occasions in late August.BOOK, Germond, Jack,weblink Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars? The Trivial Pursuit of the Presidency 1988, Witcover, Jules, Warner Books, 1989, 978-0-446-51424-8, Jack Germond, Jules Witcover, {{rp|230–232}}NEWS, Risen, James, James Risen, Shogan, Robert, September 16, 1987, Differing Versions Cited on Source of Passages: Biden Facing New Flap Over Speeches, Los Angeles Times,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, Kinnock himself was more forgiving; the two men met in 1988, forming an enduring friendship.WEB, Smith, David, David Smith (journalist), September 7, 2020, Neil Kinnock on Biden's plagiarism 'scandal' and why he deserves to win: 'Joe's an honest guy',weblink February 24, 2021, The Guardian, February 23, 2021,weblink live, Earlier that year, Biden had also used passages from a 1967 speech by Robert F. Kennedy (for which his aides took blame) and a short phrase from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address; two years earlier he had used a 1976 passage by Hubert Humphrey.NEWS, Dowd, Maureen, Maureen Dowd, September 16, 1987, Biden Is Facing Growing Debate On His Speeches, The New York Times,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, Biden responded that politicians often borrow from one another without giving credit, and that one of his rivals for the nomination, Jesse Jackson, had called him to point out that he (Jackson) had used the same material by Humphrey that Biden had used.NEWS, Dionne, E. J. Jr., E. J. Dionne, September 18, 1987, Biden Admits Plagiarism in School But Says It Was Not 'Malevolent', The New York Times,weblink February 4, 2022, April 4, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090404115603weblink">weblink live, A few days later, an incident in law school in which Biden drew text from a Fordham Law Review article with inadequate citations was publicized. He was required to repeat the course and passed with high marks.NEWS, May, Lee, September 18, 1987, Biden Admits Plagiarism in Writing Law School Brief, Los Angeles Times,weblink February 4, 2022, September 11, 2013,weblink" title="archive.today/20130911001224weblink">weblink live, At Biden's request the Delaware Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed the incident and concluded that he had violated no rules.NEWS, May 29, 1989, Professional Board Clears Biden In Two Allegations of Plagiarism, The New York Times, Associated Press,weblink February 4, 2022, July 7, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090707020556weblink">weblink live, Biden has made several false or exaggerated claims about his early life: that he had earned three degrees in college, that he attended law school on a full scholarship, that he had graduated in the top half of his class,NEWS, Dionne, E. J. Jr., E. J. Dionne, September 22, 1987, Biden Admits Errors and Criticizes Latest Report, The New York Times,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, AV MEDIA, August 23, 2008,weblink 1988 Road to the White House with Sen. Biden, C-SPAN, YouTube, January 14, 2023,weblink January 4, 2023, live, and that he had marched in the civil rights movement.NEWS, Flegenheimer, Matt, June 3, 2019, Biden's First Run for President Was a Calamity. Some Missteps Still Resonate., The New York Times,weblink June 3, 2019, June 3, 2019,weblink live, The limited amount of other news about the presidential race amplified these disclosuresBOOK, Pomper, Gerald M.,weblink The Election of 1988, Chatham House Publishers, 1989, 978-0-934540-77-3, 37, The Presidential Nominations,weblink August 28, 2021, and on September 23, 1987, Biden withdrew his candidacy, saying it had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his past mistakes.NEWS, Dionne, E. J. Jr., E. J. Dionne, September 24, 1987, Biden Withdraws Bid for President in Wake of Furor, The New York Times,weblink January 24, 2021, December 21, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171221235355weblink">weblink live,

2008 campaign

File:Sen. Joe Biden attends a Creston house party.jpg|thumb|Biden campaigns at a house party in alt=Photo of Biden, casually dressed, talking with a citizen in a gardenAfter exploring the possibility of a run in several previous cycles, in January 2007, Biden declared his candidacy in the 2008 elections.NEWS, August 12, 2003, Sen. Biden not running for president, CNN,weblink live, September 18, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190209123957weblink">weblink February 9, 2019, NEWS, Balz, Dan, Dan Balz, February 1, 2007, Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate, The Washington Post,weblink live, August 23, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171018123657weblink">weblink October 18, 2017, During his campaign, Biden focused on the Iraq War, his record as chairman of major Senate committees, and his foreign-policy experience.NEWS, August 19, 2007, Transcript: The Democratic Debate, ABC News,weblink live, September 24, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081011185127weblink">weblink October 11, 2008, Biden was noted for his one-liners during the campaign; in one debate he said of Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani: "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11."NEWS, Farrell, Joelle, November 1, 2007, A noun, a verb and 9/11, Concord Monitor,weblink dead, August 23, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080828010554weblink">weblink August 28, 2008, Biden had difficulty raising funds, struggled to draw people to his rallies, and failed to gain traction against the high-profile candidacies of Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton.WEB, August 25, 2008, Conventions 2008: Sen. Joseph Biden (D),weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080906210353weblink">weblink September 6, 2008, September 16, 2008, National Journal, He never rose above single digits in national polls of the Democratic candidates. In the first contest on January 3, 2008, Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses, garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates.WEB, Iowa Democratic Party Caucus Results,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081229055041weblink">weblink December 29, 2008, August 28, 2021, Iowa Democratic Party, He withdrew from the race that evening.NEWS, Murray, Shailagh, January 4, 2008, Biden, Dodd Withdraw From Race, The Washington Post,weblink live, August 29, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080520022844weblink">weblink May 20, 2008, Despite its lack of success, Biden's 2008 campaign raised his stature in the political world.BOOK, Heilemann, John, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, Game Change, Halperin, Mark, HarperCollins, 2010, 978-0-06-173363-5, New York, John Heilemann, Mark Halperin, {{rp|336}} In particular, it changed the relationship between Biden and Obama. Although they had served together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, they had not been close: Biden resented Obama's quick rise to political stardom,{{sfn|Wolffe|2009|p=218}} while Obama viewed Biden as garrulous and patronizing.{{rp|28, 337–338}} Having gotten to know each other during 2007, Obama appreciated Biden's campaign style and appeal to working-class voters, and Biden said he became convinced Obama was "the real deal".{{sfn|Wolffe|2009|p=218}}{{rp|28, 337–338}}

Vice presidential campaigns of 2008 and 2012

2008 campaign

File:Biden Obama 3b.jpg|thumb|Biden speaks at the August 23, 2008, vice presidential announcement at the Old State Capitol in alt=Photo of Biden outdoors behind a lectern, with Obama seated behind him and smilingShortly after Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Obama privately told him he was interested in finding an important place for Biden in his administration.NEWS,weblink Biden's Brief, Lizza, Ryan, The New Yorker, October 20, 2008, November 24, 2008, Ryan Lizza, July 25, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140725212805weblink">weblink live, In early August, Obama and Biden met in secret to discuss the possibility, and developed a strong personal rapport.{{sfn|Wolffe|2009|p=218}} On August 22, 2008, Obama announced that Biden would be his running mate.NEWS, Obama's veep message to supporters,weblink Jose Antonio, Vargas, The Washington Post, August 23, 2008, August 23, 2008, December 4, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101204011137weblink">weblink live, The New York Times reported that the strategy behind the choice reflected a desire to fill out the ticket with someone with foreign policy and national security experience.NEWS, Adam, Nagourney, Adam Nagourney, Jeff, Zeleny, Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080825223450weblink">weblink August 25, 2008, subscription, live, The New York Times, August 23, 2008, August 23, 2008, Others pointed out Biden's appeal to middle-class and blue-collar voters.{{#invoke:cite magazine||last=Dionne |first=E. J. Jr. |author-link=E. J. Dionne |title=Tramps Like Us: How Joe Biden will reassure working class voters and change the tenor of this week's convention |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/62212/tramps-us |magazine=The New Republic |date=August 25, 2008 |access-date=August 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828210626weblink |archive-date=August 28, 2008}}{{sfn|Wolffe|2009|p=217}} Biden was officially nominated for vice president on August 27 by voice vote at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.NEWS,weblink, Biden accepts VP nomination, Jennifer, Brown, The Denver Post, August 27, 2008, September 7, 2021, September 7, 2021, https:web.archive.org/web/20210907020534weblink live, Biden's vice-presidential campaigning gained little media attention, as the press devoted far more coverage to the Republican nominee, Alaska governor Sarah Palin.NEWS,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080921063344weblink">weblink September 21, 2008, subscription, live, Meanwhile, the Other No. 2 Keeps On Punching, Leibovich, Mark, The New York Times, September 19, 2008, September 20, 2008, NEWS,weblink Joe Who?, Tapper, Jake, ABC News, September 14, 2008, September 15, 2008, Jake Tapper, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080915055913weblink">weblink September 15, 2008, Under instructions from the campaign, Biden kept his speeches succinct and tried to avoid offhand remarks, such as one he made about Obama's being tested by a foreign power soon after taking office, which had attracted negative attention.NEWS, Broder, John M., October 30, 2008, Hitting the Backroads, and Having Less to Say, The New York Times,weblink live, subscription, October 31, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081031091558weblink">weblink October 31, 2008, NEWS, Tumulty, Karen, October 29, 2008, Hidin' Biden: Reining In a Voluble No. 2, Time (magazine), Time,weblink November 1, 2008, January 9, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140109102805weblink">weblink live, Privately, Biden's remarks frustrated Obama. "How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid?" he asked.{{rp|411–414, 419}} Obama campaign staffers called Biden's blunders "Joe bombs" and kept Biden uninformed about strategy discussions, which in turn irked Biden. Relations between the two campaigns became strained for a month, until Biden apologized on a call to Obama and the two built a stronger partnership.{{rp|411–414}}As the financial crisis of 2007–2010 reached a peak with the liquidity crisis of September 2008 and the proposed bailout of the United States financial system became a major factor in the campaign, Biden voted for the $700{{nbsp}}billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which passed in the Senate, 74–25.NEWS,weblink Senate Passes Economic Rescue Package, NY1, October 1, 2008, October 2, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081005022401weblink">weblink October 5, 2008, On October 2, 2008, he participated in the vice-presidential debate with Palin at Washington University in St. Louis. Post-debate polls found that while Palin exceeded many voters' expectations, Biden had won the debate overall.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=655–661}}On November 4, 2008, Obama and Biden were elected with 53% of the popular vote and 365 electoral votes to McCain–Palin's 173.{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html |title=Obama: 'This is your victory' |work=CNN |access-date=November 5, 2008|date=November 4, 2008}}NEWS, Franke-Ruta, Garance,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151023022914weblink">weblink McCain Takes Missouri, The Washington Post, October 23, 2015, November 19, 2008, November 19, 2008, live, NEWS,weblink President—Election Center 2008, CNN, November 19, 2008, November 9, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081109050840weblink">weblink live, At the same time Biden was running for vice president, he was also running for reelection to the Senate,NEWS,weblink Biden Wages 2 Campaigns At Once, Associated Press, August 24, 2008, August 29, 2008, Randall, Chase, Fox News, January 15, 2021,weblink live, as permitted by Delaware law.Almanac of American Politics 2008, p. 366. On November{{nbsp}}4, he was reelected to the Senate, defeating Republican Christine O'Donnell.NEWS,weblink Biden wins 7th Senate term but may not serve, Nuckols, Ben, Associated Press, USA Today, November 4, 2008, February 6, 2009, February 26, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090226050628weblink">weblink live, Having won both races, Biden made a point of waiting to resign from the Senate until he was sworn in for his seventh term on January 6, 2009.NEWS,weblink A bittersweet oath for Biden, Gaudiano, Nicole, The News Journal, January 7, 2009, February 7, 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090212100305weblink">weblink February 12, 2009, Biden cast his last Senate vote on January 15, supporting the release of the second $350{{nbsp}}billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program,NEWS, Trish, Turner, Associated Press,weblink Senate Releases $350 Billion in Bailout Funds to Obama, Fox News, January 15, 2009, January 25, 2009, December 30, 2019,weblink live, and resigned from the Senate later that day.{{efn| Delaware's Democratic governor, Ruth Ann Minner, announced on November 24, 2008, that she would appoint Biden's longtime senior adviser Ted Kaufman to succeed Biden in the Senate. Kaufman said he would serve only two years, until Delaware's special Senate election in 2010.NEWS,weblink Kaufman Picked by Governor to Fill Biden Senate Seat (Update 3), Milford, Phil, Bloomberg News, November 24, 2008, November 24, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081116003829weblink">weblink November 16, 2008, Biden's son Beau ruled himself out of the 2008 selection process due to his impending tour in Iraq with the Delaware Army National Guard.NEWS,weblink Ted Kaufman to succeed Biden in Senate, Kraushaar, Josh, Politico, November 24, 2008, November 24, 2008, January 24, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090124112431weblink">weblink live, He was a possible candidate for the 2010 special election, but in early 2010 said he would not run for the seat.NEWS,weblink Biden's Son Will Not Run for Delaware's Open Senate Seat, Hulse, Carl, The New York Times, January 25, 2010, January 25, 2010, January 27, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100127063705weblink">weblink live, }}

2012 campaign

In October 2010, Biden said Obama had asked him to remain as his running mate for the 2012 presidential election, but with Obama's popularity on the decline, White House chief of staff William M. Daley conducted some secret polling and focus group research in late 2011 on the idea of replacing Biden on the ticket with Hillary Clinton. The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement for Obama,NEWS,weblink Book Details Obama Aides' Talks About Replacing Biden on 2012 Ticket, Martin, Jonathan, The New York Times, October 31, 2013, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, and White House officials later said Obama himself had never entertained the idea.NEWS,weblink W.H.: Obama never considered dropping Joe Biden, Allen, Jonathan, Politico, November 1, 2013, November 3, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131104143531weblink">weblink November 4, 2013, live, Biden's May 2012 statement that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriage gained considerable public attention in comparison to Obama's position, which had been described as "evolving".NEWS,weblink Biden 'comfortable' with equal rights for gays who wed, May 6, 2012, Christi, Parsons, Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2012, May 26, 2019,weblink live, Biden made his statement without administration consent, and Obama and his aides were quite irked, since Obama had planned to shift position several months later, in the build-up to the party convention.NEWS,weblink 6 hidden fault lines in President Obama's campaign, Thursh, Glenn, Politico, August 23, 2012, January 24, 2021, December 8, 2020,weblink live, Gay rights advocates seized upon Biden's statement, and within days, Obama announced that he too supported same-sex marriage, an action in part forced by Biden's remarks.NEWS,weblink Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal, Jackie, Calmes, Peter, Baker, The New York Times, May 9, 2012, May 10, 2012, May 10, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120510014102weblink">weblink2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html, live, Biden apologized to Obama in private for having spoken out,NEWS, Thrush, Glenn, August 20, 2012, Politico e-book: Obama campaign roiled by conflict, Politico, https:www.politico.com/story/2012/08/politico-e-book-obama-campaign-roiled-by-conflict-079867, live, January 24, 2021,weblink January 3, 2021, NEWS, Julie, Pace,weblink Joe Biden Reportedly Apologized To Obama Over Gay Marriage Comments, Associated Press, HuffPost, May 10, 2012, May 11, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130528233546weblink">weblink May 28, 2013, while Obama acknowledged publicly it had been done from the heart.NEWS,weblink AP source: Biden apologizes to Obama over comments, Associated Press, Fox News, May 10, 2012, May 16, 2012, October 6, 2018,weblink live, The Obama campaign valued Biden as a retail-level politician, and he had a heavy schedule of appearances in swing states as the reelection campaign began in earnest in spring 2012.NEWS, Von Drehle, David, David Von Drehle, September 10, 2012, Let There Be Joe, 41–43, Time (magazine), Time,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20201109162947weblink">weblink November 9, 2020, NEWS, Mo Joe, Scherer, Michael,weblink Time (magazine), Time, June 11, 2012, 26–30, September 6, 2022, September 27, 2022,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20220927141830weblink">weblink live, An August 2012 remark before a mixed-race audience that Republican proposals to relax Wall Street regulations would "put y'all back in chains" once again drew attention to Biden's propensity for colorful remarks.NEWS, Memoli, Michael A., August 17, 2012, Biden's unscripted moments keep campaign on its toes, Los Angeles Times,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink January 3, 2021, NEWS,weblink Mission Impossible: Managing Joe Biden, Martin, Jonathan, Politico, August 16, 2012, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, (File:P101112ps-488 Air Force One Obama watches VP debate.jpg|thumb|Obama watching Biden debate Paul Ryan in the vice presidential debate on Air Force One)In the first presidential debate of the general election, President Obama's performance was considered surprisingly lackluster.WEB, October 8, 2012, Romney Narrows Vote Gap After Historic Debate Win,weblink January 29, 2024, Gallup, Inc., en, January 29, 2024,weblink live, Time magazine's Joe Klein called it "one of the most inept performances I've ever seen by a sitting president."MAGAZINE, Klein, Joe, October 3, 2012, Obama's Debate Strategy: Unilateral Disarmament?,weblink January 29, 2024, Time, en-US, 0040-781X, January 29, 2024,weblink live, Over the next few days, Obama's lead over Romney collapsed,WEB, October 8, 2012, Romney's Strong Debate Performance Erases Obama's Lead,weblink January 29, 2024, Pew Research Center, en-US, January 29, 2024,weblink live, putting pressure on Biden to stop the bleeding with a strong showing against the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Paul Ryan.WEB, Reston, Maeve, September 25, 2016, When Romney trounced Obama,weblink January 29, 2024, CNN Politics, en, January 29, 2024,weblink live, NEWS, MacAskill, Ewen, October 4, 2012, Mitt Romney comes out on top as Obama stumbles in first debate,weblink January 29, 2024, The Guardian, en-GB, 0261-3077, January 29, 2024,weblink live, Some political analysts considered Biden's performance against Ryan in the October 11 vice-presidential debate one of the best of his careerNEWS, Strauss, Daniel, September 27, 2020, Biden's team hopes for repeat of his 2012 performance as Trump debate nears,weblink January 29, 2024, The Guardian, en-GB, 0261-3077, January 29, 2024,weblink live, NEWS, O'Brien, Michael, October 11, 2012, Biden plays aggressor in debate as Ryan makes GOP case,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200928140933weblink">weblink September 28, 2020, January 24, 2021, NBC News, and a key factor in Obama's rebound in the polls and eventual victory over Romney.WEB, Silver, Nate, October 12, 2012, In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold,weblink January 29, 2024, FiveThirtyEight, en, January 29, 2024,weblink live, NEWS, October 12, 2012, Sparks fly as Biden, Ryan face off in feisty vice presidential debate,weblink live,weblink January 3, 2021, January 24, 2021, Fox News, The debate also became memorable for the popularization of Biden's use of the phrase "a bunch of malarkey" in response to an attack by Ryan on the administration's response to the September 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi.WEB, Memmott, Mark, October 12, 2012, What's All This Malarkey About Malarkey?,weblink January 28, 2024, NPR, June 6, 2019,weblink live, NEWS, Guarino, Ben, July 28, 2016, Joe Biden loves the word 'malarkey.' But nobody knows where it came from.,weblink subscription,weblink August 28, 2016, January 28, 2024, The Washington Post, {{cbignore}} Biden reused the phrase during his 2020 presidential campaign.NEWS, Bump, Philip, December 2, 2019, The unexpected nostalgia of Biden's 'malarkey',weblink January 28, 2024, The Washington Post, October 7, 2021,weblink live, On November 6, Obama and Biden won reelectionNEWS,weblink Obama defeats Romney to win second term, vows he has 'more work to do', Fox News, November 7, 2012, August 27, 2021, February 15, 2021,weblink live, over Romney and Ryan with 332 of 538 Electoral College votes and 51% of the popular vote.NEWS,weblink It's official: Obama, Biden win second term, Memoli, Michael A., Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2013, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live,

Vice presidency (2009–2017)

{{See also|Presidency of Barack Obama}}

First term (2009–2013)

File:Joe Biden sworn in 1-20-09 hires 090120-N-0696M-204a.jpg|thumb|Biden being sworn in as vice president on January 20, 2009January 20, 2009Biden said he intended to eliminate some explicit roles assumed by George W. Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, and did not intend to emulate any previous vice presidency.NEWS,weblink Biden says he'll be different vice president, CNN, December 22, 2008, December 22, 2008, December 24, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081224093055weblink">weblink live, He was sworn in as the 47th vice president of the United States on January 20, 2009.{{#invoke:cite news||date=January 20, 2009|title=In culminating moment, Biden is vice president |work=The Oregonian |agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2009/01/in_culminating_moment_biden_is.html|access-date=July 27, 2016|archive-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101194210weblink|url-status=live}} He was the first vice president from Delaware{{#invoke:cite news||date=November 3, 2008 |title=Think you know your election trivia? |work=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/election.trivia/index.html |access-date=November 9, 2008 |archive-date=November 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081106075757weblink|url-status=live}} and the first Roman Catholic vice president.{{#invoke:cite news||first=Ken |last=Rudin |date=January 9, 2009|title=The First Catholic Vice President? |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/politicaljunkie/2009/01/the_first_catholic_vice_presid.html|access-date=September 25, 2019|archive-date=September 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925060421weblink |url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite news||last=Gaudiano |first=Nicole|date=November 6, 2008 |title=VP's home awaits if Biden chooses |work=The News Journal |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/article/20081106/NEWS02/811060379 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 8, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081109060406weblink |archive-date=November 9, 2008}}Obama was soon comparing Biden to a basketball player "who does a bunch of things that don't show up in the stat sheet".{{#invoke:cite news||last=Leibovich|first=Mark|date=March 28, 2009|title=Speaking Freely, Biden Finds Influential Role|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/us/politics/29biden.html|access-date=March 31, 2009|archive-date=April 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401232903weblink|url-status=live}} Biden visited Kosovo in May and affirmed the U.S. position that its "independence is irreversible."JOURNAL, Chun, Kwang-Ho, Kosovo: A New European Nation-State?,weblink Journal of International and Area Studies, 18, 1, 2011, 91, 94, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, Biden lost an internal debate to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about sending 21,000 new troops to Afghanistan,{{#invoke:cite news||last=Dilanian|first=Ken|date=June 11, 2009|title=In a supporting role, Clinton takes a low-key approach at State Dept.|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090611/1aclinton11_cv.art.htm|access-date=July 22, 2009|archive-date=May 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516020144weblink|url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite news||last=Smith|first=Ben|date=June 23, 2009|title=Hillary Clinton toils in the shadows|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/06/clinton-toils-in-the-shadows-024067|access-date=July 22, 2009|archive-date=September 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916005405weblink|url-status=live}} but his skepticism was valued,{{#invoke:cite news||last=Cummings|first=Jeanne|date=September 16, 2009|title=Joe Biden, 'the skunk at the family picnic'|publisher=The Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/09/the-skunk-at-the-family-picnic-027211|access-date=September 17, 2009}} and in 2009, Biden's views gained more influence as Obama reconsidered his Afghanistan strategy.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Bailey|first1=Holly|last2=Thomas|first2=Evan|author-link2=Evan Thomas|date=October 10, 2009|title=An Inconvenient Truth Teller|magazine=Newsweek|url=https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-white-house-truth-teller-81181|access-date=November 6, 2009|archive-date=November 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123063731weblink|url-status=live}} Biden visited Iraq about every two months, becoming the administration's point man in delivering messages to Iraqi leadership about expected progress there. More generally, overseeing Iraq policy became Biden's responsibility: Obama was said to have said, "Joe, you do Iraq."{{#invoke:cite magazine||last=Osnos|first=Evan|author-link=Evan Osnos|date=August 12, 2014|title=Breaking Up: Maliki and Biden|magazine=The New Yorker|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/breaking-maliki-biden|access-date=August 26, 2015|archive-date=October 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002053443weblink|url-status=live}} By 2012, Biden had made eight trips there, but his oversight of U.S. policy in Iraq receded with the exit of U.S. troops in 2011.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Crowley|first=Michael|date=November 9, 2014|title=The war over President Obama's new war in Iraq|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/president-obama-war-iraq-112730|access-date=August 26, 2015|archive-date=October 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013002931weblink|url-status=live}}File:President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden shake hands in the Oval Office following a phone call with House Speaker John Boehner securing a bipartisan deal to reduce the nation's deficit and avoid default.jpg|thumb|left|President Obama congratulates Biden for his role in shaping the debt ceiling deal which led to the alt=Photo of Obama and Biden shaking hands in the Oval OfficeBiden oversaw infrastructure spending from the Obama stimulus package intended to help counteract the ongoing recession.{{#invoke:cite magazine||last=Scherer|first=Michael|date=July 1, 2009|title=What Happened to the Stimulus?|magazine=Time|url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1908417,00.html|access-date=July 8, 2009|archive-date=January 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109095116weblink|url-status=live}} During this period, Biden was satisfied that no major instances of waste or corruption had occurred, and when he completed that role in February 2011, he said the number of fraud incidents with stimulus monies had been less than one percent.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Travers|first=Karen|date=February 17, 2011|title='Sheriff Joe' Biden Touts Recovery Act Success—and Hands Over His Badge|work=ABC News|url=https://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/02/sheriff-joe-biden-touts-recovery-act-success-and-hands-over-his-badge.html|url-status=dead|access-date=March 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221153327weblink|archive-date=February 21, 2011}}Biden's off-message response to a question in late April 2009, during the beginning of the swine flu outbreak, led to a swift retraction by the White House.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Silva|first1=Mark|last2=Parsons|first2=Christi|date=May 1, 2009|title=White House adjusts Biden's swine flu advice|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-01-na-biden1-story.html|access-date=May 28, 2009|archive-date=October 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009170032weblink|url-status=live}} The remark revived Biden's reputation for gaffes.{{#invoke:cite news||date=May 1, 2009|title=White House tempers Biden's swine flu advice|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/05/01/white_house_tempers_bidens_swine_flu_advice/|url-status=dead |access-date=May 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505114058weblink|archive-date=May 5, 2009}}{{#invoke:cite news||last=Kurtzman|first=Daniel|date=May 8, 2009|title=The Week's Best Late-Night Jokes|publisher=About.com|url=https://www.liveabout.com/late-night-political-jokes-2733896|access-date=May 28, 2009|archive-date=June 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611193402weblink|url-status=live}} Confronted with rising unemployment through July 2009, Biden acknowledged that the administration had "misread how bad the economy was" but maintained confidence the stimulus package would create many more jobs once the pace of expenditures picked up.{{#invoke:cite news||date=July 5, 2009|title=Biden: 'We misread how bad the economy was'|publisher=NBC News|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/31745563|access-date=July 9, 2009|archive-date=December 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217104812weblink|url-status=live}} A hot mic picked up Biden telling Obama that his signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was "a big fucking deal" on March 23, 2010. Despite their different personalities, Obama and Biden formed a friendship, partly based around Obama's daughter Sasha and Biden's granddaughter Maisy, who attended Sidwell Friends School together.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Leibovich|first=Mark|date=May 7, 2012|title=For a Blunt Biden, an Uneasy Supporting Role|page=1|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/us/politics/for-a-blunt-biden-an-uneasy-supporting-role.html|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103081748weblink|url-status=live}}Members of the Obama administration said Biden's role in the White House was to be a contrarian and force others to defend their positions.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Baker|first=Peter|date=April 28, 2019|title=Biden and Obama's 'Odd Couple' Relationship Aged Into Family Ties|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/us/politics/barack-obama-biden.html|access-date=April 26, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606093422weblink|quote=He was also the in-house skeptic on the use of force, arguing against a troop surge to Afghanistan, military intervention in Libya and the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.|url-status=live}} Rahm Emanuel, White House chief of staff, said that Biden helped counter groupthink. Obama said, "The best thing about Joe is that when we get everybody together, he really forces people to think and defend their positions, to look at things from every angle, and that is very valuable for me." The Bidens maintained a relaxed atmosphere at their official residence in Washington, often entertaining their grandchildren, and regularly returned to their home in Delaware.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Parnes|first=Amie|date=June 28, 2011|title=The Bidens' 'regular' lives|newspaper=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/06/the-bidens-regular-lives-057887|access-date=June 28, 2011|archive-date=October 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016194519weblink|url-status=live}}Biden campaigned heavily for Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, maintaining an attitude of optimism in the face of predictions of large-scale losses for the party.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Stolberg|first=Sheryl Gay|date=October 12, 2010|title=Vice President Tries to Energize Democrats|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/us/politics/13biden.html|access-date=October 14, 2010|archive-date=October 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028044617weblink|url-status=live}} Following big Republican gains in the elections and the departure of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Biden's past relationships with Republicans in Congress became more important.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Lee|first1=Carol E.|last2=Bresnahan|first2=John|date=December 9, 2010|title=Joe Biden expands role as White House link to Congress|newspaper=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2010/12/biden-steps-into-rahms-shoes-046173|access-date=December 10, 2010|archive-date=October 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016194519weblink|url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite news||last=Cooper|first=Helene|date=December 11, 2010|title=As the Ground Shifts, Biden Plays a Bigger Role|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/us/politics/12biden.html|access-date=December 13, 2010|archive-date=December 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213044241weblink|url-status=live}} He led the successful administration effort to gain Senate approval for the New START treaty. In December 2010, Biden's advocacy for a middle ground, followed by his negotiations with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, were instrumental in producing the administration's compromise tax package that included a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Hulse|first1=Carl|last2=Calmes|first2=Jackie|date=December 7, 2010|title=Biden and G.O.P. Leader Helped Hammer Out Bipartisan Tax Accord|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08deal.html|access-date=December 8, 2010|archive-date=December 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208043606weblink|url-status=live}} The package passed as the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.File:Obama and Biden await updates on bin Laden.jpg|thumb|Biden, Obama and the national security team gathered in the White House Situation Room to monitor the progress of the May 2011 mission to kill alt=Photo of Obama, Biden, and national security staffers in the Situation Room, somberly listening to updates on the bin Laden raidObama delegated Biden to lead negotiations with Congress in March 2011 to resolve federal spending levels for the rest of the year and avoid a government shutdown.{{#invoke:cite news||title=Congress averts shutdown, sends stopgap to Obama |date=March 2, 2011 |first1=Andy |last1=Sullivan |first2=Kim |last2=Dixon |first3=Alister |last3=Bull |first4=Thomas |last4=Ferraro |first5=Richard |last5=Cowan |work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-spending-idUSTRE7205MS20110302}} The U.S. debt ceiling crisis developed over the next few months, but Biden's relationship with McConnell again proved key in breaking a deadlock and bringing about a deal to resolve it, in the form of the Budget Control Act of 2011, signed on August 2, 2011, the same day an unprecedented U.S. default had loomed.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Thrush |first1=Glenn |last2=Brown |first2=Carrie Budoff |last3=Raju |first3=Manu |last4=Bresnahan |first4=John |date=August 2, 2011 |title=Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell and the making of a debt deal |newspaper=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/08/biden-mcconnell-and-the-making-of-a-deal-060463 |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-date=September 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922144250weblink|url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite news||date=August 3, 2011 |first1=Ben |last1=Feller |first2=Julie |last2=Pace |first3=Laurie |last3=Kellman |first4=Nancy |last4=Benac |title=The real drama was in private as debt deal hatched |work=Fox News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/the-real-drama-was-in-private-as-debt-deal-hatched |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230142752weblink |url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Bohan |first1=Caren |last2=Sullivan |first2=Andy |last3=Ferraro |first3=Thomas |date=August 3, 2011 |title=Special report: How Washington took the U.S. to the brink |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-debt-brink/special-report-how-washington-took-the-u-s-to-the-brink-idUSTRE77271R20110803|access-date=August 4, 2011|archive-date=October 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013231825weblink|url-status=live}} Some reports suggest that Biden opposed proceeding with the May 2011 U.S. mission to kill Osama bin Laden,NEWS, Weigel, David, David Weigel, January 10, 2014, Hillary Told the President That Her Opposition to the Surge in Iraq Had Been Political, Slate (magazine), Slate,weblink January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, lest failure adversely affect Obama's reelection prospects.NEWS, Thiessen, Marc A., October 8, 2012, Biden's Bin Laden Hypocrisy, The Washington Post,weblink August 29, 2015, September 4, 2015,weblink live, NEWS, Andersen Brower, Kate, June 1, 2018, Hillary Clinton's 'ass-covering' on bin Laden raid 'rattled' Biden, The Hill (newspaper), The Hill,weblink April 29, 2019, May 13, 2019,weblink live, Obama named Biden to head the Gun Violence Task Force, created to address the causes of school shootings and consider possible gun control to implement in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in December 2012.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Caldwell|first=Leigh Ann|date=December 19, 2012|title=Obama sets up gun violence task force|publisher=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-sets-up-gun-violence-task-force/|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115185454weblink|url-status=live}} Later that month, during the final days before the United States fell off the "fiscal cliff", Biden's relationship with McConnell again proved important as the two negotiated a deal that led to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 being passed at the start of 2013.NEWS,weblink It's over: House passes 'fiscal cliff' deal, Demirjian, Karoun, Las Vegas Sun, January 1, 2013, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, {{#invoke:cite news||url=https://www.startribune.com/politics/national/185276422.html |title=Congress' OK of fiscal cliff deal gives Obama a win, prevents GOP blame for tax boosts |last=Fram|first=Alan |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Star Tribune |location=Minneapolis |date=January 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105020524weblink |archive-date=January 5, 2013}} It made many of the Bush tax cuts permanent but raised rates on upper income levels.

Second term (2013–2017)

File:Joe and Jill Biden arrive in Morocco - 2014-11-20.jpg|thumb|left|Biden in MoroccoMoroccoBiden was inaugurated to a second term on January 20, 2013, at a small ceremony at Number One Observatory Circle, his official residence, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor presiding (a public ceremony took place on January 21).NEWS,weblink Vice President Biden sworn into office for second term, Rampton, Roberta, Reuters, January 20, 2013,weblink January 22, 2013, live, Biden played little part in discussions that led to the October 2013 passage of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, which resolved the federal government shutdown of 2013 and the debt-ceiling crisis of 2013. This was because Senate majority leader Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders cut him out of any direct talks with Congress, feeling Biden had given too much away during previous negotiations.NEWS,weblink Anatomy of a shutdown, Bresnahan, John, Manu, Raju, Sherman, Jake, Brown, Carrie Budoff, Politico, October 18, 2013, January 24, 2021, January 15, 2021,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Biden mostly out of sight as shutdown drags on, Gaudiano, Nicole, USA Today, October 13, 2013, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Biden takes a back seat during budget negotiations over shutdown, Bowman, Bridget, PBS NewsHour, PBS, October 14, 2013, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, Biden's Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized again in 2013. The act led to related developments, such as the White House Council on Women and Girls, begun in the first term, as well as the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, begun in January 2014 with Biden and Valerie Jarrett as co-chairs.WEB,weblinkweblink live, January 21, 2017, Rape and sexual assault: A renewed call to action, January 2014, NARA, National Archives, White House, August 24, 2016, PRESS RELEASE,weblink Memorandum: Establishing White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, January 22, 2014, June 10, 2014, January 22, 2017,weblink NARA, National Archives, White House, live, Biden favored arming Syria's rebel fighters.NEWS, Who to Blame If Arming the Syrian Rebels Goes Wrong, Conor, Friedersdorf, Conor Friedersdorf,weblink The Atlantic, September 18, 2014, January 24, 2021, May 12, 2019,weblink live, As the ISIL insurgency in Iraq intensified in 2014, renewed attention was paid to the Biden-Gelb Iraqi federalization plan of 2006, with some observers suggesting Biden had been right all along.NEWS,weblink Was Joe Biden right?, Gerstein, Josh, Politico, June 13, 2014, September 14, 2014, September 27, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150927001111weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Turns Out, Joe Biden Was Right About Dividing Iraq, Kitfield, James, National Journal, January 30, 2014, September 14, 2014, October 11, 2017,weblink live, Biden himself said the U.S. would follow ISIL "to the gates of hell".NEWS,weblink Joe Biden vows to chase Islamic State to 'gates of hell'. Does he mean it?, Grier, Peter, The Christian Science Monitor, September 3, 2014, September 14, 2014, January 15, 2021,weblink live, Biden had close relationships with several Latin American leaders and was assigned a focus on the region during the administration; he visited the region 16 times during his vice presidency, the most of any president or vice president.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Paz|first=Christian|date=October 26, 2020|title=The Biden Doctrine Begins With Latin America|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/10/joe-biden-foreign-policy-latin-america/616841/|access-date=November 15, 2020|issn=1072-7825|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111041523weblink|url-status=live}} In August 2016, Biden visited Serbia, where he met with the Serbian Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vučić, and expressed his condolences for civilian victims of the bombing campaign during the Kosovo War.NEWS, Melander, Ingrid, August 16, 2016, Biden offers condolences for Serbs killed in 1999 NATO air strikes, Reuters,weblink live, January 24, 2021,weblink January 15, 2021, File:Vice President Joe Biden visit to Israel March 2016 (25554709411).jpg|thumb|Biden with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in alt=Photo of Biden and Netanyahu giving speeches, with American and Israeli flags in the backgroundBiden never cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, making him the longest-serving vice president with this distinction.WEB, Bycoffe, Aaron, February 7, 2017, Pence Has Already Done Something Biden Never Did: Break A Senate Tie,weblink FiveThirtyEight, Twelve vice presidents, including Biden, never broke a tie; Biden was the longest-serving vice president to never do so., January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live,

Role in the 2016 presidential campaign

During his second term, Biden was often said to be preparing for a bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. With his family, many friends, and donors encouraging him in mid-2015 to enter the race, and with Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings in decline at that time, Biden was reported to again be seriously considering the prospect and a "Draft Biden 2016" PAC was established.NEWS, Colby, Itkowitz, There is a 'Draft Joe Biden' Super PAC Now; It's Even Hiring a Fundraiser, The Washington Post, March 23, 2015,weblink August 2, 2015, July 16, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150716011912weblink">weblink live, NEWS, Maureen, Dowd, Joe Biden in 2016: What Would Beau Do?,weblink The New York Times, August 1, 2015, January 24, 2021, January 6, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Jeff, Zeleny, Kevin, Liptak,weblink Joe Biden Keeps Watchful Eye on 2016 Race, CNN, August 1, 2015, August 2, 2015, February 2, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160202185430weblink">weblink live, By late 2015, Biden was still uncertain about running. He felt his son Beau's recent death had largely drained his emotional energy, and said, "nobody has a right{{nbsp}}... to seek that office unless they're willing to give it 110% of who they are."{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34216117|title=Joe Biden still undecided on presidential run|work=BBC News|date=September 11, 2015|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103083021weblink|url-status=live}} On October 21, speaking from a podium in the Rose Garden with his wife and Obama by his side, Biden announced his decision not to run for president in 2016.NEWS, Jeff, Mason,weblink Biden says he will not seek 2016 Democratic nomination, October 21, 2015, October 21, 2015, aol.com, October 22, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151022211907weblink">weblink live, {{#invoke:cite news||first=Mollie|last=Reilly|title=Joe Biden Is Not Running For President In 2016|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-president-2016_n_55f1cefbe4b093be51be0d69|work=Huff Post|date=October 21, 2015|access-date=October 21, 2015|archive-date=April 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405213056weblink|url-status=live}}{{#invoke:cite news||first1=Colleen|last1=McCain Nelson|first2=Peter|last2=Nicholas|title=Joe Biden Decides Not to Enter Presidential Race|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-decides-not-to-enter-presidential-race-1445444657|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=October 21, 2015|access-date=October 21, 2015|archive-date=October 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021204730weblink|url-status=live}}

Subsequent activities (2017–2019)

File:58th Presidential Inaugural Ceremony 170120-D-BP749-1327.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Biden with Barack Obama and Donald Trump, at the latter's inaugurationinaugurationAfter leaving the vice presidency, Biden became an honorary professor at the University of Pennsylvania, developing the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. Biden remained in that position into 2019, before running for president.MAGAZINE,weblink The Biden Administration Keeps Tapping Penn People for Major Roles: D.C.'s gain is Philly's loss, Sandy, Hingston, Philadelphia, October 23, 2021, March 5, 2022, March 5, 2022,weblink live, WEB, Tamari, Jonathan, July 12, 2019, Penn has paid Joe Biden more than $900K since he left the White House. What did he do to earn the money?,weblink February 22, 2023, Philadelphia (magazine), Philadelphia, February 22, 2023,weblink live, In 2017, Biden wrote a memoir, Promise Me, Dad, and went on a book tour.NEWS, Kane, Paul, Biden wraps up book tour amid persistent questions about the next chapter, The Washington Post,weblink June 11, 2018, November 10, 2020, 0190-8286, November 7, 2020,weblink live, By 2019, he and his wife reported that they had earned over $15 million since the end of his vice presidency from speaking engagements and book sales.NEWS, Eder, Steve, Glueck, Katie, July 9, 2019, Joe Biden's Tax Returns Show More Than $15 Million in Income After 2016, The New York Times,weblink July 16, 2019, July 15, 2019,weblink live, Biden remained in the public eye, endorsing candidates while continuing to comment on politics, climate change, and the presidency of Donald Trump.MAGAZINE,weblink Biden backs Phil Murphy, says N.J. governor's race 'most important' in nation, Ryan, Hutchins, May 28, 2017, Politico, January 24, 2021, December 30, 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Biden: Paris deal 'best way to protect' US leadership, Max, Greenwood, The Hill (newspaper), The Hill, May 31, 2017, January 24, 2021, February 25, 2020,weblink live, He also continued to speak out in favor of LGBT rights, continuing advocacy on an issue he had become more closely associated with during his vice presidency.MAGAZINE, Edward-Isaac, Dovere, VP's LGBT comments raise eyebrows,weblink Politico, March 26, 2014, January 24, 2021, January 3, 2021,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Joe Biden to LGBT gala: 'Hold President Trump accountable', June 21, 2017, Steve, Peoples, The Seattle Times, January 24, 2021, June 20, 2020,weblink, live, In 2018, he gave a eulogy for Senator John McCain, praising McCain's embrace of American ideals and bipartisan friendships.MAGAZINE, Friedman, Megan, August 30, 2018, Joe Biden Just Gave an Incredibly Powerful Speech at John McCain's Memorial, Town & Country (magazine), Town & Country, https:www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a22877209/joe-biden-eulogy-john-mccain-memorial-full-transcript/, January 24, 2021, June 10, 2020,weblink live, Biden continued to support cancer research.NEWS, O'Brien, Sara Ashley, March 12, 2017, Joe Biden: The fight against cancer is bipartisan, CNN Business,weblink live, March 13, 2017,weblink May 26, 2019,

2020 presidential campaign

Speculation and announcement

File:Biden9 (32932624647).jpg|thumb|Biden at his presidential kickoff rally in alt=Photo of Biden raising his fist while while standing behind a lecternBetween 2016 and 2019, media outlets often mentioned Biden as a likely candidate for president in 2020.NEWS,weblink Joe Biden wouldn't count out a 2020 run for president. But he was asked in an emotional moment, Los Angeles Times, August 27, 2021, December 6, 2016, A. Memoli, Michael, June 20, 2020,weblink live, When asked if he would run, he gave varied and ambivalent answers, saying "never say never".NEWS,weblink Biden stokes 2020 buzz on Colbert: 'Never say never', CNN, December 8, 2016, December 7, 2016, Wright, David, June 20, 2020,weblink, live, A political action committee known as Time for Biden was formed in January 2018, seeking Biden's entry into the race.NEWS, https:www.wvik.org/post/new-quad-city-super-pac-time-biden, New Quad City Super PAC: 'Time for Biden', Charnetzki, Tori, WVIK, January 10, 2018, January 24, 2018, June 20, 2020,weblink live, He finally launched his campaign on April 25, 2019,NEWS, Scherer, Michael, Wagner, John, April 25, 2019, Former vice president Joe Biden jumps into White House race, The Washington Post,weblink live, April 25, 2019,weblink May 26, 2020, saying he was prompted to run because he was worried by the Trump administration and felt a "sense of duty."NEWS, Dovere, Edward-Isaac, February 4, 2019, Biden's Anguished Search for a Path to Victory, The Atlantic,weblink live, February 9, 2019,weblink June 20, 2020,

Campaign

As the 2020 campaign season heated up, voluminous public polling showed Biden as one of the best-performing Democratic candidates in a head-to-head matchup against President Trump.WEB, Ashley Pratte, Oates, Opinion {{!, Joe Biden is the Democrats' best chance to beat Trump in 2020. Period. |website=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/joe-biden-democrats-best-chance-beat-trump-2020-no-other-ncna961836 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |agency=NBC News |date=January 24, 2019 |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514003526weblink |url-status=live}}WEB, April 17, 2019, Every 2020 Democrat Wants To Be The Electable Candidate, Kevin, Robillard, Amanda, Terkel,weblink May 14, 2023, HuffPost, May 14, 2023,weblink live, NEWS, Pramuk, Jacob, Here's how Biden, Sanders, Warren and other top Democrats are faring against Trump in national polls,weblink May 14, 2023, CNBC, November 5, 2019, May 14, 2023,weblink live, With Democrats keenly focused on "electability" for defeating Trump,NEWS, Barabak, Mark Z., January 31, 2020, Desperate to beat Trump, Democrats differ over who is best,weblink May 14, 2023, Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2023,weblink live, this boosted his popularity among Democratic voters.MAGAZINE, Scocca, Tom, April 12, 2020, Biden's Electability Only Works if There Is an Election, Slate (magazine), Slate,weblink May 14, 2023, 1091-2339, May 14, 2023,weblink live, It also made Biden a frequent target of Trump.WEB, Allen, Mike, July 25, 2018, Scoop: Trump fears Biden 2020, losing Pennsylvania,weblink May 13, 2023, Axios, May 14, 2023,weblink live, NEWS, Adam, Edelman, Trump says Biden would go down "fast" and "crying" in a fight,weblink May 14, 2023, NBC News, March 22, 2018, May 14, 2023,weblink live, In September 2019, it was reported that Trump had pressured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate alleged wrongdoing by Biden and his son Hunter Biden.NEWS,weblink Ukraine Pressured on U.S. Political Investigations, Kramer, Andrew E., September 20, 2019, The New York Times, September 20, 2019, 0362-4331, September 20, 2019,weblink live, Despite the allegations, no evidence was produced of any wrongdoing by the Bidens.NEWS, Isachenkov, Vladimir, Ukraine's prosecutor says there is no probe into Biden,weblink October 1, 2019, Associated Press, September 27, 2019, Though the timing raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice president or his son., October 1, 2019,weblink live, NEWS, White House 'tried to cover up details of Trump-Ukraine call',weblink October 1, 2019, BBC News, September 26, 2019, There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Bidens., September 30, 2019,weblink live, NEWS, Matthew, Brown, January 15, 2021, July 7, 2021, Fact check: False conspiracy theories allege connection between Biden victory and Ukraine,weblink USA Today, June 8, 2021,weblink live, Trump's pressure to investigate the Bidens was perceived by many as an attempt to hurt Biden's chances of winning the presidency.MAGAZINE, Mackinnon, Amy, September 20, 2019, Is Trump Trying to Get Ukraine to Take Out Biden for Him?, Foreign Policy, Graham Holdings,weblink live, September 20, 2019,weblink September 20, 2019, Trump's alleged actions against Biden resulted in a political scandalNEWS,weblink September 21, 2019, Trump Repeatedly Pressed Ukraine President to Investigate Biden's Son, Alan, Cullison, Rebecca, Ballhaus, Dustin, Volz, The Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2019, September 23, 2019,weblink live, and Trump's impeachment by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of congress.NEWS, February 10, 2021, This is why Donald Trump was impeached the first time – previous charges against former US president explained, Matt, Brooks,weblink May 14, 2023, The Scotsman, May 14, 2023,weblink live, In March 2019 and April 2019, eight women accused Biden of previous instances of inappropriate physical contact, such as embracing, touching or kissing.WEB, All the Women Who Have Spoken Out Against Joe Biden,weblink The Cut (website), The Cut, May 19, 2021, April 12, 2020, December 17, 2020,weblink live, Amanda, Arnold, Claire, Lampen, Biden had previously called himself a "tactile politician" and admitted this behavior had caused trouble for him.NEWS,weblink Nevada Democrat accuses Joe Biden of touching and kissing her without consent at 2014 event, December 30, 2019, Brice-Saddler, Michael, March 29, 2019, Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2020,weblink live, Journalist Mark Bowden described Biden's lifelong habit of talking close, writing that he "doesn't just meet you, he engulfs you... scooting closer" and leaning forward to talk.MAGAZINE, Bowden, Mark, August 30, 2010, The Salesman,weblink March 27, 2023, The Atlantic, November 23, 2021,weblink live, In April 2019, Biden pledged to be more "respectful of people's personal space".NEWS, Ember, Sydney, Martin, Jonathan,weblink Joe Biden, in video, says he will be 'more mindful' of personal space, April 3, 2019, The New York Times, March 28, 2020, June 20, 2020,weblink live, (File:Joe Biden Rally at Hiatt Middle School - 49480899101.jpg|left|thumb|Biden at a rally on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, February 2020|alt=Photo of Biden holding a microphone, with a crowd in the background)Throughout 2019, Biden stayed generally ahead of other Democrats in national polls.NEWS,weblink NBC/WSJ poll: Former Vice-President Joe Biden frontrunner in race for Democratic nomination, December 19, 2019, February 10, 2020, February 13, 2020,weblink NBC News, live, NEWS,weblink Biden Is The Front-Runner, But There's No Clear Favorite, Silver, Nate, Nate Silver, January 10, 2020, FiveThirtyEight, February 10, 2020, February 14, 2020,weblink live, Despite this, he finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses, and eight days later, fifth in the New Hampshire primary.NEWS, 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucuses Live Results,weblink February 3, 2020, The Washington Post, March 22, 2020, December 7, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, February 11, 2020, New Hampshire results, NBC News,weblink February 12, 2020, February 12, 2020,weblink live, He performed better in the Nevada caucuses, reaching the 15% required for delegates, but still finished 21.6 percentage points behind Bernie Sanders.WEB, Nevada Election Results 2020,weblink November 14, 2020, Politico, November 15, 2020,weblink live, Making strong appeals to Black voters on the campaign trail and in the South Carolina debate, Biden won the South Carolina primary by more than 28 points.NEWS,weblink Biden wins South Carolina, aims for Super Tuesday momentum, February 29, 2020, Associated Press, March 1, 2020, Steve, Peoples, Meg, Kinnard, Bill, Barrow, February 29, 2020,weblink live, After the withdrawals and subsequent endorsements of candidates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, he made large gains in the March{{nbsp}}3 Super Tuesday primary elections. Biden won 18 of the next 26 contests, putting him in the lead overall.WEB, Montanaro, Domenico, March 4, 2020, November 14, 2020, 5 Takeaways From Super Tuesday And Joe Biden's Big Night,weblink NPR, November 13, 2020,weblink live, Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg soon dropped out, and Biden expanded his lead with victories over Sanders in four states on March 10.NEWS,weblink 5 takeaways as Biden takes command of Democratic race on Super Tuesday II, CNN, March 11, 2020, March 11, 2020, Eric, Bradner, Gregory, Krieg, Dan, Merica, March 11, 2020,weblink live, In late March 2020, Tara Reade, one of the eight women who in 2019 had accused Biden of inappropriate physical contact, accused Biden of having sexually assaulted her in 1993.NEWS, Lerer, Lisa, Ember, Sydney, Examining Tara Reade's Sexual Assault Allegation Against Joe Biden,weblinkweblink April 12, 2020, subscription, live, April 14, 2020, The New York Times, April 12, 2020, There were inconsistencies between Reade's 2019 and 2020 allegations.NEWS, McGann, Laura, The Agonizing Story of Tara Reade,weblink May 19, 2021, Vox (website), Vox, May 7, 2020,weblink May 7, 2020, live, Biden and his campaign denied the sexual assault allegation.NEWS,weblink Sexual assault allegation by former Biden Senate aide emerges in campaign, draws denial, April 12, 2020, April 14, 2020, The Washington Post, Beth, Reinhard, Elise, Viebeck, Matt, Viser, Alice, Crites, April 28, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Phillips, Amber,weblink What we know about Tara Reade's sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden, The Washington Post, June 1, 2020, August 27, 2021, June 18, 2020,weblink live, When Sanders suspended his campaign on April 8, 2020, Biden became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee for president.NEWS, Ember, Sydney, April 8, 2020, Bernie Sanders Drops Out of 2020 Democratic Race for President, The New York Times,weblink April 8, 2020, 0362-4331, April 8, 2020,weblink live, On April 13, Sanders endorsed Biden in a live-streamed discussion from their homes.{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/us/politics/bernie-sanders-joe-biden-endorsement.html|title=Bernie Sanders Endorses Joe Biden for President|last1=Ember|first1=Sydney|last2=Glueck|first2=Katie|date=April 13, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 13, 2020|archive-date=April 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413182004weblink|url-status=live}} Former president Barack Obama endorsed Biden the next day.NEWS, Merica, Dan, Zeleny, Jeff,weblink Obama endorses Biden for president in video message, April 14, 2020, CNN, April 14, 2020, April 14, 2020,weblink live, On August 11, Biden announced U.S. senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate, making her the first African American and first South Asian American vice-presidential nominee on a major-party ticket.WEB,weblink Biden VP pick: Kamala Harris chosen as running mate, BBC News, August 12, 2020, August 26, 2021, October 10, 2020,weblink live, On August 18, 2020, Biden was officially nominated at the 2020 Democratic National Convention as the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 2020 election.NEWS, DNC Nominates Joe Biden to Lead Nation Through Pandemic,weblink The Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2020, August 19, 2020, Joshua, Jamerson, Chad, Day, August 18, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Joe Biden officially becomes the Democratic Party's nominee on convention's second night,weblink The Washington Post, August 19, 2020, August 19, 2020, Toluse, Olorunnipa, Chelsea, Janes, Felicia, Sonmez, Colby, Itkowitz, John, Wagner, November 17, 2020,weblink live,

Presidential transition

Biden was elected the 46th president of the United States in November 2020. He defeated the incumbent, Donald Trump, becoming the first candidate to defeat a sitting president since Bill Clinton defeated George H. W. Bush in 1992. Trump refused to concede, insisting the election had been "stolen" from him through "voter fraud", challenging the results in court and promoting numerous conspiracy theories about the voting and vote-counting processes, in an attempt to overturn the election results.NEWS,weblink Timeline: Trump insists he won the election as Biden prepares to take the White House, Santucci, Jeanine, December 9, 2020, USA Today, June 21, 2021, June 24, 2021,weblink live, Biden's transition was delayed by several weeks as the White House ordered federal agencies not to cooperate.NEWS, Rein, Lisa, Viser, Matt, Miller, Greg, Dawsey, Josh, November 9, 2020, White House, escalating tensions, orders agencies to rebuff Biden transition team, The Washington Post,weblink January 4, 2023, 0190-8286, November 14, 2020,weblink live, On November{{nbsp}}23, General Services Administrator Emily W. Murphy formally recognized Biden as the apparent winner of the 2020 election and authorized the start of a transition process to the Biden administration.{{#invoke:cite news||work=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/transition-biden-gsa-begin/index.html|title=First on CNN: GSA tells Biden that transition can formally begin|first1=Kristen|last1=Holmes|first2=Jeremy|last2=Herb|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 23, 2020|archive-date=November 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123232709weblink|url-status=live}}On January 6, 2021, during Congress' electoral vote count, Trump told supporters gathered in front of the White House to march to the Capitol, saying, "We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn't happen. You don't concede when there's theft involved."WEB,weblink Transcript of Trump's Speech at Rally Before US Capitol Riot, U.S. News & World Report, January 13, 2021, February 9, 2021, February 9, 2021,weblink live, Soon after, they attacked the Capitol. During the insurrection at the Capitol, Biden addressed the nation, calling the events "an unprecedented assault unlike anything we've seen in modern times".MAGAZINE,weblink Joe Biden Calls on Donald Trump to 'Step Up' amid Chaos Led by 'Extremists' at Capitol, People (magazine), People, Lindsay, Kimble, January 6, 2021, February 9, 2021, January 26, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Will, Weissert, Darlene, Superville,weblink Biden urges restoring decency after 'assault' on democracy, Associated Press News, January 7, 2021, February 9, 2021, January 29, 2021,weblink live, After the Capitol was cleared, Congress resumed its joint session and officially certified the election results with Vice President Mike Pence, in his capacity as President of the Senate, declaring Biden and Harris the winners.NEWS,weblink King, Ledyard, Groppe, Maureen, Wu, Nicholas, Jansen, Bart, Subramanian, Courtney, Garrison, Joey, Pence confirms Biden as winner, officially ending electoral count after day of violence at Capitol, USA Today, January 7, 2021, January 6, 2021, live, January 7, 2021,weblink

Presidency (2021–present)

{{For timeline|Timeline of the Joe Biden presidency}}File:President Biden taking oath of office (cropped).png|thumb|222px|Biden takes the oath of office administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at the Capitolthe Capitol

Inauguration

Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021.{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-inauguration/assuming-u-s-presidency-biden-tells-divided-nation-democracy-has-prevailed-idUSKBN29P0HG|title=Taking helm of divided nation, U.S. President Biden calls for end to 'uncivil war'|date=January 20, 2021|last1=Hunnicutt|first1=Trevor|last2=Zengerle|first2=Patricia|last3=Renshaw|first3=Jarrett|work=Reuters|access-date=January 20, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120171341weblink|url-status=live}}NEWS, Baker, Peter, 2021-01-20, Biden Inaugurated as the 46th President Amid a Cascade of Crises,weblink 2024-05-11, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331, At 78, he is the oldest person to have assumed the office.NEWS, Zak, Dan, 2021-01-12, Joe Biden, 78, will lead an American gerontocracy,weblink 2024-05-11, Washington Post, en-US, 0190-8286, He is the second Catholic president (after John F. Kennedy)WEB, January 19, 2021, Biden to become the second Catholic president in U.S. history, after JFK,weblink January 20, 2021, NBC News, January 19, 2021,weblink live, WEB, Sandstrom, Aleksandra, 2021-01-20, Biden is only the second Catholic president, but nearly all have been Christians,weblink 2024-05-11, Pew Research Center, en-US, and the first president whose home state is Delaware.WEB, Cormier, Ryan, Talorico, Patricia, November 7, 2020, Delaware history is made: The First State gets its first president in Joe Biden,weblink January 20, 2021, The News Journal, November 8, 2020,weblink live, He is also the first man since George H. W. Bush to have been both vice president and president, and the second non-incumbent vice president (after Richard Nixon in 1968) to be elected president.{{#invoke:cite news||last=Azari|first=Julia|date=August 20, 2020|title=Biden Had To Fight For The Presidential Nomination. But Most VPs Have To.|work=FiveThirtyEight|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/biden-had-to-fight-for-the-presidential-nomination-but-most-vps-have-to/|url-status=live|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117190453weblink|archive-date=November 17, 2020}} He is also the first president from the Silent Generation.WEB,weblink March 6, 2020, August 26, 2021, At long last, the silent generation's hour has come, Financial Times, January 26, 2021,weblink live, WEB, 2021-01-23, At 78 and the oldest president, Biden sees a world changed,weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en, Biden's inauguration was "a muted affair unlike any previous inauguration" due to COVID-19 precautions as well as massively increased security measures because of the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Trump did not attend, becoming the first outgoing president since 1869 to not attend his successor's inauguration.{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/why-joe-biden-swearing-in-will-be-muted-affair-unlike-previous-inaugurations-2353966|title=Masked Crowd, No Trump: Why Biden Inauguration Will Be Like No Other|date=January 18, 2021|agency=Agence France-Presse|publisher=NDTV|access-date=June 21, 2021}}

First 100 days

{{See also|First 100 days of Joe Biden's presidency}}In his first two days as president, Biden signed 17 executive orders. By his third day, orders had included rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, ending the state of national emergency at the border with Mexico, directing the government to rejoin the World Health Organization, face mask requirements on federal property, measures to combat hunger in the United States,WEB, Ricardo, Alonso-Zaldivar, Ellen, Knickmeyer, Ben, Fox, Elliot, Spagat, Matt, Lee, Josh, Boak, January 20, 2021, Biden's first act: Orders on pandemic, climate, immigration,weblink live,weblink January 20, 2021, January 21, 2021, Associated Press, WEB, Erikson, Bo, January 20, 2021, Biden signs executive actions on COVID, climate change, immigration and more,weblink live,weblink January 20, 2021, January 21, 2021, CBS News, NEWS, January 22, 2021, Joe Biden is taking executive action at a record pace, The Economist,weblink live, January 23, 2021,weblink January 24, 2021, WEB, Cassella, Megan, January 22, 2021, Biden signs executive orders aimed at combating hunger, protecting workers,weblink live,weblink January 22, 2021, January 23, 2021, Politico, and revoking permits for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Allassan|first1=Fadel|first2=Ursula|last2=Perano|date=January 20, 2021|title=Biden will issue executive order to rescind Keystone XL pipeline permit|url=https://www.axios.com/biden-keystone-pipeline-9ffcedfb-42c1-4778-8183-27d858f0c966.html|work=Axios|access-date=January 25, 2021}}{{#invoke:cite news||last=Massie|first=Graeme|date=January 23, 2021|title=Canada's Trudeau 'disappointed' with Biden order to cancel Keystone pipeline|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trudeau-biden-keystone-xl-pipeline-b1791756.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220609weblink|archive-date=June 9, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|work=The Independent|access-date=January 25, 2021}}{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Nickel|first1=Rod|last2=Volcovici|first2=Valerie|date=January 21, 2021|title=TC Energy cuts jobs as Keystone pipeline nixed, but markets start to move on|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-keystone-idUSKBN29Q1T8|access-date=January 24, 2021}}File:P20210720AS-3425-2 (51417135942).jpg|thumb|Biden with his CabinetCabinetOn March 11, the first anniversary of COVID-19 having been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus and relief package that he had proposed to support the United States' recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.WEB, March 11, 2021, H.R.1319 – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,weblink live,weblink March 13, 2021, August 27, 2021, United States Congress, The package included direct payments to most Americans, an extension of increased unemployment benefits, funds for vaccine distribution and school reopenings, and expansions of health insurance subsidies and the child tax credit. Biden's initial proposal included an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, but after the Senate parliamentarian determined that including the increase in a budget reconciliation bill would violate Senate rules, Democrats declined to pursue overruling her and removed the increase from the package.NEWS, Luhby, Tami, Lobosco, Katie, January 14, 2021, Here's what's in Biden's $1.9 trillion economic rescue package, CNN,weblink live, January 16, 2021,weblink February 18, 2021, NEWS, Tankersley, Jim, Crowley, Michael, January 14, 2021, Here are the highlights of Biden's $1.9 trillion 'American Rescue Plan.', The New York Times,weblink limited, January 16, 2021,weblink December 28, 2021, 0362-4331, {{cbignore}}NEWS, Kaplan, Thomas, March 7, 2021, What's in the Stimulus Bill? A Guide to Where the $1.9 Trillion Is Going, The New York Times,weblink limited, March 13, 2021,weblink December 28, 2021, {{cbignore}}Also in March, amid a rise in migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico, Biden told migrants, "Don't come over." In the meantime, migrant adults "are being sent back", Biden said, in reference to the continuation of the Trump administration's Title 42 policy for quick deportations.NEWS, March 17, 2021, Biden administration faces pressure on immigration amid influx, Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera,weblink live, March 20, 2021,weblink March 19, 2021, Biden earlier announced that his administration would not deport unaccompanied migrant children; the rise in arrivals of such children exceeded the capacity of facilities meant to shelter them (before they were sent to sponsors), leading the Biden administration in March to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Miroff |first1=Nick |date=March 13, 2021|title=Biden will deploy FEMA to care for teenagers and children crossing border in record numbers |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fema-border-unaccompanied-minors/2021/03/13/738366a4-8455-11eb-bb5a-ad9a91faa4ef_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 23, 2021}}On April 14, Biden announced that the United States would delay the withdrawal of all troops from the war in Afghanistan until September 11, signaling an end to the country's direct military involvement in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years.{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Sanger |first1=David E. |last2=Shear |first2=Michael D. |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says 'It Is Time to End the Forever War' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/us/politics/biden-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228weblink|archive-date=December 28, 2021|url-access=limited |work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=April 23, 2021}}{{cbignore}} In February 2020, the Trump administration had made a deal with the Taliban to completely withdraw U.S. forces by May 1, 2021.NEWS, E. Sanger, David, August 15, 2021, For Biden, Images of Defeat He Wanted to Avoid, The New York Times,weblink live, August 16, 2021,weblink August 16, 2021, Biden's decision met with a wide range of reactions, from support and relief to trepidation at the possible collapse of the Afghan government without American support.WEB, Wadington, Katie, April 14, 2021, Afghanistan withdrawal draws strong Capitol Hill reactions, making some strange alliances,weblink live,weblink April 22, 2021, April 23, 2021, USA Today, On April 22–23, Biden held an international climate summit at which he announced that the U.S. would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50%–52% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Other countries also increased their pledges.PRESS RELEASE, New momentum reduces emissions gap, but huge gap remains – analysis,weblink Carbon Action Tracker, climateactiontracker.org, April 23, 2021, April 27, 2021, April 26, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Newburger, Emma, April 22, 2021, Here's what countries pledged on climate change at Biden's global summit, CNBC,weblink live, April 29, 2021,weblink April 29, 2021, On April 28, the eve of his 100th day in office, Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress.WEB, Lemire, Jonathan, Boak, Josh, April 28, 2021, Biden to the nation and world: 'America is rising anew',weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210429023533weblink">weblink April 29, 2021, April 28, 2021, Star Tribune,

Domestic policy

On June 17, Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which officially declared Juneteenth a federal holiday.WEB, June 17, 2021, Most Federal Employees Will Receive Friday Off for Juneteenth,weblink live,weblink June 18, 2021, June 17, 2021, Government Executive, Juneteenth is the first new federal holiday since 1983.{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-juneteenth-holiday-bill-sign/ |title=Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday |last1=Watson |first1=Kathryn |last2=Quinn |first2=Melissa |date=June 18, 2021 |work=CBS News |access-date=June 19, 2021}}WEB, 2021-06-17, Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday,weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en, WEB, Sullivan, Kate, Vazquez, Maegan, 2021-06-17, Biden signs bill into law making Juneteenth a national holiday {{!, CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/17/politics/biden-juneteenth-bill-signing/index.html |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=CNN |language=en}} In July 2021, amid a slowing of the COVID-19 vaccination rate in the country and the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, Biden said that the country has "a pandemic for those who haven't gotten the vaccination" and that it was therefore "gigantically important" for Americans to be vaccinated.NEWS, Jaffe, Alexandra, Madhani, Aamer, July 22, 2021, Biden says getting COVID-19 vaccine 'gigantically important', U.S. News & World Report, Associated Press,weblink live, July 23, 2021,weblink August 26, 2021,

Economy

(File:Inflation rate, United States and eurozone, January 2018 through June 2023.png|thumb|330px|Inflation rate, United States and eurozone, January 2018 through June 2023)Biden entered office nine months into a recovery from the COVID-19 recession and his first year in office was characterized by robust growth in real GDP, employment, wages and stock market returns, amid significantly elevated inflation. Real GDP grew 5.9%, the fastest rate in 37 years.NEWS, Mutikani, Lucia, September 29, 2022, U.S. economic growth revised up; gap between GDP and GDI narrows sharply, Reuters,weblink NEWS, Tappe, Anneken, January 27, 2022, The US economy grew at the fastest rate in 2021 since the Reagan administration, CNN,weblink live, June 18, 2022,weblink January 27, 2022, Amid record job creation, the unemployment rate fell at the fastest pace on record during the year.NEWS, Mutikani, Lucia, January 7, 2022, U.S. labor market eyes maximum employment despite underwhelming December payrolls, Reuters,weblink live, June 18, 2022,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20220121221243weblink">weblink January 21, 2022, NEWS, Pickert, Reade, January 7, 2022, U.S. Sees Record Job Growth in 2021 After Millions Lost in 2020, Bloomberg News,weblink live, June 18, 2022,weblink January 29, 2022, WEB,weblink All Employees, Total Nonfarm, fred.stlouisfed.org, July 29, 2022, By the end of 2021, inflation reached a nearly 40-year high of 7.1%, which was partially offset by the highest nominal wage and salary growth in at least 20 years.NEWS, Rubin, Gabriel T., January 28, 2022, U.S. Wages, Benefits Rose at Two-Decade High as Inflation Picked Up, The Wall Street Journal,weblink live, June 18, 2022,weblink January 30, 2022, NEWS, Smialek, Jeanna, Casselman, Ben, January 28, 2022, Inflation Continued to Run Hot and Consumer Spending Fell in December, The New York Times,weblink live, subscription,weblink January 28, 2022, NEWS, Iacurci, Greg, January 31, 2022, Wage growth may be slowing from 'breakneck' pace, CNBC,weblink live, June 18, 2022,weblink February 3, 2022, NEWS, Graffeo, Emily, Wang, Lu, November 3, 2021, S&P 500 Is Up 37% Since Biden's Election One Year Ago, Setting Presidential Record, Bloomberg News,weblink live, June 18, 2022,weblink November 6, 2021, In his third month in office, Biden signed an executive order to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 per hour, an increase of nearly 37%. The order went into effect for 390,000 workers in January 2022.NEWS, Biden raising minimum wage for federal contractors to $15/hr,weblink Reuters, April 27, 2021, Nandita Bose, Jarrett Renshaw, NEWS, Juliana, Kaplan, August 14, 2023, Nearly 400,000 federal contractors will get paid $15 an hour starting this weekend. Biden's labor secretary says there's 'no question' it'll cut down on labor shortages.,weblink Business Insider, January 28, 2022, Amid a surge in inflation and high gas prices, Biden's approval ratings declined, reaching net negative in early 2022.NEWS, Liptak, Kevin, Mattingly, Phil, January 28, 2022, Biden is aiming to hit the road to reset his presidency. He starts with yet another stop in Pennsylvania., CNN,weblink live, February 1, 2022,weblink February 4, 2022, WEB, President Biden Job Approval,weblink live,weblink January 24, 2021, February 10, 2022, RealClearPolitics, MAGAZINE, Daniel, Will, July 18, 2022, Inflation drives President Biden's economic approval rating to a record low,weblink September 13, 2022, Fortune, After 5.9% growth in 2021, real GDP growth cooled in 2022 to 2.1%, after slightly negative growth in the first half spurred recession concerns. Job creation and consumer spending remained strong through the year, as the unemployment rate fell to match a 53-year low of 3.5% in December. Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June before easing to 3.2% by October 2023. Stocks had had their worst year since 2008NEWS, Bhattarai, Abha, January 26, 2023, U.S. economy grew 2.1 percent in 2022, but recession fears linger, The Washington Post,weblink NEWS, Jesse Pound, Samantha Subin, December 30, 2022, Stocks fall to end Wall Street's worst year since 2008, S&P 500 finishes 2022 down nearly 20%, CNBC,weblink NEWS, Iacurci, Greg, January 12, 2023, Here's the inflation breakdown for December 2022 — in one chart, CNBC,weblink before recovering. Widespread predictions of an imminent recession did not materialize in 2022 or 2023, and by late 2023 indicators showed sharply lower inflation with economic acceleration. GDP growth hit 4.9% in the third quarter of 2023 and the year ended with stocks near record highs, with robust holiday spending.NEWS, Harrison, David, October 23, 2023, The Economy Was Supposed to Slow by Now. Instead It's Revving Up., The Wall Street Journal,weblink subscription, Recent economic data suggest the economy is accelerating despite higher borrowing costs, the resumption of student-loan payments, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East ... Analysts, many of whom had expected a recession this year, are pushing up their forecasts ... After predicting a recession for the past year, economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal this month said they now believe that the economy will avoid a downturn in the next 12 months., live,weblink November 22, 2023, NEWS, October 26, 2023, GDP surged 4.9% in the third quarter, defying the Fed's rate hikes,weblink November 21, 2023, CBS News, NEWS, Robust holiday shopping sends economy soaring into 2024,weblink The Washington Post, December 26, 2023, Rachel, Siegel, Aaron, Gregg, Biden signed numerous major pieces of economic legislation in the 117th Congress, including the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Honoring our PACT Act.WEB, Jones, Dustin, Despite infighting, it's been a surprisingly productive 2 years for Democrats, NPR,weblink Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law on August 9, 2022.NEWS, Shepardson, David, Mason, Jeff, August 10, 2022, Biden signs bill to boost U.S. chips, compete with China,weblink August 17, 2022, Reuters, The act provides billions of dollars in new funding to boost domestic research on and manufacture of semiconductors, to compete economically with China.MAGAZINE, Johnson, Lamar, August 9, 2022, Biden ends slog on semiconductor bill with signature,weblink August 9, 2022, Politico, Over the course of five days in March 2023, three small- to mid-size U.S. banks failed, triggering a sharp decline in global bank stock prices and swift response by regulators to prevent potential global contagion. After Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, the first to do so, Biden expressed opposition to a bailout by taxpayers.NEWS, Cathey, Libby, March 13, 2023, Amid crisis, Biden tells Americans 'banking system is safe',weblink March 13, 2023, ABC News, He claimed that the partial rollback of Dodd-Frank regulations contributed to the bank's failure.NEWS, Hunnicutt, Trevor, March 13, 2023, Biden vows new bank rules after SVB collapse, cites Trump rollback,weblink March 13, 2023, Reuters, At the beginning of the 118th Congress, Biden and congressional Republicans engaged in a standoff after the United States hit its debt limit, which raised the risk that the U.S. would default on its debt.NEWS, Diamond, Jeremy, Fox, Lauren, Zanona, Melanie, Mattingly, Phil, Saenz, Arlette, Liptak, Kevin, June 1, 2023, Inside a debt ceiling standoff 'far more dangerous than people will recognize', CNN,weblink June 11, 2023, Biden and House speaker Kevin McCarthy struck a deal to raise the debt limit, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which suspended the debt limit until January 2025. Biden signed it on June 3, averting a default.NEWS, Megerian, Chris, June 3, 2023, Biden signs debt ceiling bill that pulls US back from brink of unprecedented default, Associated Press News,weblink June 11, 2023, The deal was generally seen as favorable to Biden.NEWS, Baker, Peter, June 1, 2023, The Calm Man in the Capital: Biden Lets Others Spike the Ball but Notches a Win, The New York Times,weblink June 11, 2023, NEWS, Tankersley, Jim, June 3, 2023, Biden's Debt Deal Strategy: Win in the Fine Print, The New York Times,weblink June 11, 2023,

Judiciary

{{Further|List of federal judges appointed by Joe Biden}}File:P20220407AS-0337 (52068715434).jpg|thumb|Biden and Ketanji Brown Jackson watching the U.S. SenateU.S. SenateBy the end of 2021, 40 of Biden's appointees to the federal judiciary had been confirmed, more than any president in his first year in office since Ronald Reagan.NEWS, Raymond, Nate, December 28, 2021, Biden finishes 2021 with most confirmed judicial picks since Reagan,weblink live,weblink February 1, 2022, February 1, 2022, Reuters, Biden has prioritized diversity in his judicial appointments more than any president in U.S. history, with most of his appointees being women and people of color.WEB, Johnson, Carrie, December 28, 2021, Biden had a productive year picking federal judges. The job could get tougher in 2022,weblink live,weblink February 4, 2022, February 1, 2022, NPR, Most of his appointments have been in blue states, making a limited impact since the courts in these states already generally lean liberal.WEB, Mejía, Elena, December 7, 2021, How Biden Is Reshaping The Courts,weblink live,weblink February 4, 2022, February 1, 2022, FiveThirtyEight, In January 2022, Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer, a moderate liberal nominated by Bill Clinton, announced his intention to retire from the Supreme Court. During his 2020 campaign, Biden vowed to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court if a vacancy occurred,WEB, Totenberg, Nina, January 26, 2022, Justice Stephen Breyer, an influential liberal on the Supreme Court, to retire,weblink live,weblink February 4, 2022, February 1, 2022, NPR, a promise he reiterated after Breyer announced his retirement.NEWS, Chung, Andrew, Hurley, Lawrence, Holland, Steve, January 28, 2022, Biden vows to nominate Black woman to U.S. Supreme Court by end of February,weblink live,weblink February 2, 2022, February 1, 2022, Reuters, On February 25, Biden nominated federal judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.PRESS RELEASE, February 25, 2022, President Biden Nominates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to Serve as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court,weblink White House Office, February 26, 2022, February 28, 2022,weblink live, She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 7WEB, Baker, Sam, Gonzalez, Oriana, April 7, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as first Black female Supreme Court justice,weblink April 8, 2022, Axios (website), Axios, and sworn in on June 30.WEB, Bustillo, Ximena, June 30, 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as first Black woman on the Supreme Court,weblink July 5, 2022, NPR, By November 2023, Biden had confirmed 150 federal judges, including 100 women.NEWS, November 7, 2023, Senate confirms Biden's 150th judge,weblink November 21, 2023, NBC News,

Infrastructure and climate

{{Further|Build Back Better Plan|Environmental policy of the Joe Biden administration}}File:P20211101AS-0357 (51846489866).jpg|thumb|Biden, UK prime minister Boris Johnson and UN secretary-general António Guterres at the opening ceremony of the COP26 climate summitCOP26 climate summitAs part of Biden's Build Back Better agenda, in late March 2021, he proposed the American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion package addressing issues including transport infrastructure, utilities infrastructure, broadband infrastructure, housing, schools, manufacturing, research and workforce development.NEWS, Holland, Steve, Renshaw, Jarrett, March 31, 2021, Biden says $2 trillion jobs plan rivals the space race in its ambition, Reuters,weblink live, November 24, 2021,weblink April 13, 2021, NEWS, Siegel, Rachel, March 31, 2021, What's in Biden's $2 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan?, The Washington Post,weblink live, November 8, 2021,weblink April 1, 2021, After months of negotiations among Biden and lawmakers, in August 2021 the Senate passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,NEWS, Romm, Tony, August 10, 2021, Senate approves bipartisan, $1 trillion infrastructure bill, bringing major Biden goal one step closer, The Washington Post,weblink live, November 8, 2021,weblink September 29, 2021, NEWS, Pramuk, Jacob, August 10, 2021, Senate passes $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending key part of Biden's economic agenda to the House, CNBC,weblink live, November 8, 2021,weblink November 8, 2021, while the House, also in a bipartisan manner, approved that bill in early November 2021, covering infrastructure related to transport, utilities, and broadband.NEWS, Jalonick, Mary Clare, November 7, 2021, Roads, transit, internet: What's in the infrastructure bill, Associated Press,weblink live, November 8, 2021,weblink November 7, 2021, Biden signed the bill into law in mid-November 2021.NEWS, Boak, Josh, Long, Colleen, November 16, 2021, Biden signs $1T infrastructure deal with bipartisan crowd, Associated Press,weblink live, November 16, 2021,weblink November 16, 2021, The other core part of the Build Back Better agenda was the Build Back Better Act, a $3.5 trillion social spending bill that expands the social safety net and includes major provisions on climate change.WEB, Pramuk, Jacob, August 11, 2021, Senate approves framework of $3.5 trillion budget plan that would expand Medicare, tax credits and climate initiatives,weblink live,weblink April 11, 2022, April 13, 2022, CNBC, WEB, Frazin, Rachel, July 14, 2021, Democratic senator: Reconciliation package to include clean electricity standard,weblink live,weblink October 26, 2021, The Hill (newspaper), The Hill, April 13, 2022, The bill did not have Republican support, so Democrats attempted to pass it on a party-line vote through budget reconciliation, but struggled to win the support of Senator Joe Manchin, even as the price was lowered to $2.2 trillion.WEB, Nancy, Cordes, Ellis, Kim, Ed, O'Keefe, Weijia, Jiang, Jordan, Freiman, October 5, 2021, Biden sets $1.9 – $2.2 trillion price range for social safety net bill in call with House progressives,weblink live,weblink October 23, 2021, April 13, 2022, CBS News, After Manchin rejected the bill,WEB, Seipel, Arnie, Hernandez, Joe, December 19, 2021, Joe Manchin says he won't support President Biden's Build Back Better plan,weblink live,weblink April 11, 2022, April 13, 2022, NPR , the Build Back Better Act's size was reduced. It was comprehensively reworked into the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, covering deficit reduction, climate change, healthcare, and tax reform.NEWS, Dennis, Brady, August 14, 2022, As Congress funds high-tech climate solutions, it also bets on a low-tech one: Nature, The Washington Post,weblink August 29, 2022, The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was introduced by senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin.NEWS, Bose, Nandita, Holland, Steve, August 17, 2022, Biden signs inflation act, hands pen to Manchin, Reuters,weblink August 21, 2022, NEWS, Walters, Joanna, Helmore, Edward, July 31, 2022, Joe Manchin hails expansive bill he finally agrees to as 'great for America', The Guardian,weblink August 21, 2022, The package aimed to raise $739 billion and authorize $370 billion in spending on energy and climate change, $300 billion in deficit reduction, three years of Affordable Care Act subsidies, prescription drug reform to lower prices, and tax reform.NEWS, Greve, Joan E., August 7, 2022, Senate passes $739bn healthcare and climate bill after months of wrangling, The Guardian,weblink August 21, 2022, According to an analysis by the Rhodium Group, the bill will lower US greenhouse gas emissions between 31 percent and 44 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.NEWS, E Greve, Joan, August 12, 2022, US House passes Democrats' landmark healthcare and climate bill, The Guardian,weblink August 14, 2022, On August 7, 2022, the Senate passed the bill (as amended) on a 51–50 vote, with all Democrats voting in favor, all Republicans opposed, and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. The bill was passed by the House on August 12 and was signed by Biden on August 16.NEWS, Pitas, Costas, August 13, 2022, Biden to sign $430 billion climate and tax bill into law next week, Reuters,weblink August 14, 2022, NEWS, Shabad, Rebecca, Egan, Lauren, August 16, 2022, Biden signs major climate, health care and tax bill into law,weblink August 16, 2022, NBC News, Before and during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Biden promoted an agreement that the U.S. and the European Union cut methane emissions by a third by 2030 and tried to add dozens of other countries to the effort.NEWS, Natter, Ari, A Dlouhy, Jennifer, Krukowska, Ewa, U.S. and EU Vow Steep Methane Cuts Ahead of Climate Summit,weblink September 17, 2021, Bloomberg, September 14, 2021, September 17, 2021,weblink live, Biden pledged to double climate funding to developing countries by 2024.NEWS, Biden pledges to double U.S. climate change aid; some activists unimpressed,weblink Valerie, Volcovici, September 29, 2021, Reuters, September 21, 2021, September 25, 2021,weblink live, Also at COP26, the U.S. and China reached a deal on greenhouse gas emission reduction. The two countries are responsible for 40 percent of global emissions.NEWS, COP26: Cautious welcome for unexpected US-China climate agreement,weblink November 15, 2021, Reuters, November 11, 2021, November 14, 2021,weblink live, In July 2023, when the 2023 heat waves hit the U.S., Biden announced several measures to protect the population and said the heat waves were linked to climate change.WEB, FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Workers and Communities from Extreme Heat,weblink The White House, July 27, 2023, August 15, 2023, NEWS, Sprunt, Barbara, Biden rolled out some new measures to respond to extreme heat as temperatures soar,weblink August 15, 2023, NPR, July 27, 2023,

COVID-19 diagnosis

On July 21, 2022, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 with reportedly mild symptoms.WEB, Wingrove, Josh, Sink, Justin, July 21, 2022, Biden Tests Positive for Covid, Has Mild Symptoms, White House Says,weblink July 21, 2022, Bloomberg News, WEB, 2022-07-22, Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has 'very mild symptoms',weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en, According to the White House, he was treated with Paxlovid.WEB, Shear, Michael, July 21, 2022, Biden, 79, is experiencing fatigue, a runny nose and a dry cough after testing positive.,weblink July 21, 2022, The New York Times, He worked in isolation in the White House for five daysWEB, Liptak, Kevin, Klein, Betsy, Sullivan, Kate, July 27, 2022, Biden 'feeling great' and back to work in person after testing negative for Covid-19,weblink July 30, 2022, CNN, and returned to isolation when he tested positive again on July 30.WEB, Kevin, Liptak, July 30, 2022, President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid-19 again,weblink July 30, 2022, CNN, WEB, 2022-07-30, Biden tests positive for COVID-19, returns to isolation,weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en,

Other domestic policy issues

In 2022, Biden endorsed a change to the Senate filibuster to allow for the passing of the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act, on both of which the Senate had failed to invoke cloture.NEWS, Subramanian, Courtney, January 11, 2022, 'Let the majority prevail': Biden backs filibuster change to pass voting rights in Atlanta speech, USA Today,weblink live, April 13, 2022,weblink January 14, 2022, The rules change failed when two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, joined Senate Republicans in opposing it.NEWS, Foran, Clare, Zaslav, Ali, Barrett, Ted, January 19, 2022, Senate Democrats suffer defeat on voting rights after vote to change rules fails, CNN,weblink live, February 3, 2022,weblink April 9, 2022, In April 2022, Biden signed into law the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 to revamp the finances and operations of the United States Postal Service agency.NEWS, Fossum, Sam, Vasquez, Maegan, April 6, 2022, Biden signs US Postal Service reform bill into law, CNN,weblink August 17, 2022, On July 28, 2022, the Biden administration announced it would fill four wide gaps on the Mexico–United States border in Arizona near Yuma, an area with some of the busiest corridors for illegal crossings. During his presidential campaign, Biden had pledged to cease all future border wall construction.NEWS, Snow, Anita, July 28, 2022, US to fill border wall gaps at open area near Yuma, Arizona,weblink August 4, 2022, Associated Press News, This occurred after both allies and critics of Biden criticized his administration's management of the southern border.NEWS, Alvarez, Priscilla, Sullivan, Kate, July 29, 2022, Biden administration to close border wall gaps in Arizona,weblink August 20, 2022, CNN, File:P20220727AS-0409-1 (52386660528).jpg|thumb|left|Biden and senior advisers watch the Senate pass the alt=Photo of Biden and staffers, seated, looking at a televisionIn the summer of 2022, several other pieces of legislation Biden supported passed Congress. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act aimed to address gun reform issues following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.NEWS, June 23, 2022, Statement of Administration Policy, White House,weblink August 17, 2022, The act's gun control provisions include extended background checks for gun purchasers under 21, clarification of Federal Firearms License requirements, funding for state red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs, further criminalization of arms trafficking and straw purchases, and partial closure of the boyfriend loophole.NEWS, Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Section-By-Section, Politico,weblink August 17, 2022, NEWS, DeBonis, Mike, Caldwell, Leigh Ann, June 21, 2022, Senate votes to advance bipartisan gun deal, breaking 30-year logjam, The Washington Post,weblink June 22, 2022, 0190-8286, NEWS, Foran, Clare, Wilson, Kristin, Grayer, Annie, June 25, 2022, Biden will sign first major federal gun safety legislation in decades on Saturday, White House says, CNN,weblink August 17, 2022, Biden signed the bill on June 25, 2022.NEWS, Weissert, Will, June 25, 2022, Biden signs landmark gun measure, says 'lives will be saved', Associated Press News,weblink August 17, 2022, The Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 was introduced in 2021 and signed into law by Biden on August 10, 2022.NEWS, Shabad, Rebecca, Egan, Lauren, August 10, 2022, Biden signs bill to expand benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, CNBC,weblink August 17, 2022, The act intends to significantly improve healthcare access and funding for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, including burn pits, during military service.NEWS, Dean, Jessica, Zaslav, Ali, August 3, 2022, Senate passes long-sought bill to help veterans affected by burn pits, CNN,weblink August 17, 2022, On October 6, 2022, Biden pardoned all Americans convicted of "small" amounts of cannabis possession under federal law.MAGAZINE, Daniels, Eugene, Fertig, Natalie, October 6, 2022, Biden pardons marijuana offenses, calls for review of federal law,weblink October 8, 2022, Politico, On December 22, 2023, he pardoned Americans of cannabis use or possession on federal lands regardless of whether they had been charged or prosecuted.WEB, Shivaram, Deepa,weblink Biden expands pardons for marijuana possession and grants clemency to 11, NPR, December 22, 2023, WEB, Miller, Zeke,weblink Biden pardons thousands convicted of marijuana charges on federal lands and in Washington, Associated Press, December 22, 2023, Two months after his first round of pardons, he signed the Respect for Marriage Act, which repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and requires the federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages.NEWS, Shear, Michael D., December 13, 2022, Biden Signs Bill to Protect Same-Sex Marriage Rights, The New York Times,weblink December 14, 2022, 0362-4331,

2022 elections

File:Biden rally at Bowie State University (52485660899).jpg|thumb|Biden holding a rally at Bowie State University in Maryland for gubernatorial candidate alt=Photo of Biden holding a microphone at a campaign rally, with his jacket off and sleeves rolled upOn September 2, 2022, in a nationally broadcast Philadelphia speech, Biden called for a "battle for the soul of the nation". Off camera, he called Trump supporters "semi-fascists", which Republican commentators denounced.NEWS, O'Keefe, Ed, Cook, Sara, September 2, 2022, Biden delivers prime-time speech on the "battle for the soul of the nation" in Philadelphia, CBS News,weblink October 14, 2022, NEWS, Weisman, Jonathan, September 2, 2022, Four takeaways from President Biden's speech in Philadelphia, Chicago Tribune,weblink October 14, 2022, NEWS, Naughtie, Andrew, September 5, 2022, Jan 6 committee members back Biden remarks on Trump 'fascism' after rally guest defends neo-Nazi rioter: Joe Biden's warnings of creeping fascism on the pro-Trump right have fired up ex-president's followers and dissenters alike, The Independent,weblink October 14, 2022, A predicted Republican wave election did not materialize and the race for U.S. Congress control was much closer than expected, with Republicans securing a slim majority of 222 seats in the House of Representatives,NEWS, Hounshell, Blake, November 9, 2022, Five Takeaways From a Red Wave That Didn't Reach the Shore, The New York Times,weblink November 9, 2022, 0362-4331, NEWS, Knowles, Hannah, Scherer, Michael, November 9, 2022, Democrats show strength, leaving fight for control of Congress unresolved, The Washington Post,weblink November 9, 2022, MAGAZINE, McGraw, Meridith, November 9, 2022, Trump's biggest midterm bets don't pay out,weblink November 9, 2022, Politico, NEWS, Breuninger, Kevin, November 16, 2022, Republicans take control of the House, NBC News projects, CNBC,weblink November 16, 2022, and the Democratic caucus keeping control of the U.S. Senate, with 51 seats, a gain of one seat from the last Congress.WEB, November 8, 2022, 2022 Election: Live Analysis and Results,weblink November 9, 2022, FiveThirtyEight, {{efn|Kyrsten Sinema, whose seat was not up for election in 2022, left the Democratic Party and became an independent politician in December 2022, after the election but before the swearing in of the next Congress. As a result, 48 Democrats (rather than 49), plus Angus King and Bernie Sanders, independents who caucus with Democrats, were in the Senate upon commencement of the 118th United States Congress, on January 3, 2023. Sinema has opted to caucus with neither party but to continue to align with the Democrats, bringing the Democratic Senate majority to 51 seats.{{USCongRec|2023|S22|January 3, 2023}}WEB, Skelley, Geoffrey, December 9, 2022, Why Kyrsten Sinema Left The Democratic Party,weblink December 11, 2022, FiveThirtyEight, live,weblink June 6, 2023, }}It was the first midterm election since 1986 in which the party of the incumbent president achieved a net gain in governorships, and the first since 1934 in which the president's party lost no state legislative chambers.NEWS, Enten, Harry, November 13, 2022, How Joe Biden and the Democratic Party defied midterm history,weblink November 28, 2022, CNN, Democrats credited Biden for their unexpectedly favorable performance,WEB, Lauren, Gambino, November 20, 2022, 'You did it!': Biden basks in midterms afterglow after beating expectations,weblink November 28, 2022, The Guardian, and he celebrated the results as a strong day for democracy.NEWS, Baker, Peter, November 9, 2022, Biden Celebrates Beating the Odds, but He Faces a New Challenge, The New York Times,weblink November 28, 2022, 0362-4331,

Foreign policy

File:P20210607AS-0995 (51268398621).jpg|thumb|right|Biden meeting with Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg in the alt=Photo of Biden, Stoltenberg, and staffers sitting in the Oval OfficeIn June 2021, Biden took his first trip abroad as president. In eight days he visited Belgium, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. He attended a G7 summit, a NATO summit, and an EU summit, and held one-on-one talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.NEWS,weblink Biden's first trip abroad will be a whirlwind of major meetings with key allies and top rivals, Haltiwanger, John, June 3, 2021, Business Insider, June 19, 2021, In September 2021, Biden announced AUKUS, a security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, to ensure "peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term"; the deal included nuclear-powered submarines built for Australia's use.NEWS, Madhani, Aamer, Lemire, Jonathan, Biden announces Indo-Pacific alliance with UK, Australia,weblink October 4, 2021, Associated Press, September 16, 2021, October 9, 2021,weblink live,

Withdrawal from Afghanistan

File:President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet with their national security team and senior officials.jpg|thumb|left|Biden in a video conference with Vice President Harris and the U.S. National Security team, discussing the Fall of KabulFall of KabulAmerican forces began withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2020, under the provisions of a February 2020 US-Taliban agreement that set a May 1, 2021, deadline.WEB, Kiely, Eugene, Farley, Robert,weblink Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, FactCheck.org, August 17, 2021, February 4, 2022, August 17, 2021,weblink live, The Taliban began an offensive on May 1.NEWS,weblink Biden admits Afghanistan's collapse 'did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated', Kevin, Liptak, Jeff, Zeleny, Kaitlan, Collins, Jennifer, Hansler, Maegan, Vazquez, August 16, 2021, August 26, 2021, CNN, August 30, 2021,weblink live, WEB, Nomaan, Merchant, Zeke, Miller,weblink Misread warnings helped lead to chaotic Afghan evacuation, August 19, 2021, August 26, 2021, Associated Press, August 29, 2021,weblink live, By early July, most American troops in Afghanistan had withdrawn. Biden addressed the withdrawal in July, saying, "The likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely."On August 15, the Afghan government collapsed under the Taliban offensive, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.NEWS, Biden defends 'messy' US pullout from Afghanistan,weblink August 17, 2021, BBC News, August 17, 2021, October 23, 2021,weblink live, Biden reacted by ordering 6,000 American troops to assist in the evacuation of American personnel and Afghan allies.NEWS, Prakash, Nidhi, Joe Biden Blamed Afghan Leaders For Giving Up As The Taliban Took Control,weblink August 17, 2021, Buzzfeed News, August 16, 2021, October 8, 2021,weblink live, He faced bipartisan criticism for the manner of the withdrawal,NEWS, Edmondson, Catie, Lawmakers Unite in Bipartisan Fury Over Afghanistan Withdrawal,weblink The New York Times, March 1, 2022, August 16, 2021, August 16, 2021,weblink live, with the evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies described as chaotic and botched.MAGAZINE, Seligman, Lara, Top generals contradict Biden, say they urged him not to withdraw from Afghanistan,weblink Politico, September 28, 2021, March 1, 2022, September 29, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Melanie, Zanona, Lauren, Fox, House Republicans vow to probe Biden's Afghanistan exit if they win in 2022,weblink CNN, August 20, 2021, March 1, 2022, August 22, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Christopher, Cadelago, Natasha, Korecki, Laura, Barrón-López, Biden scrambles to tamp down panic over Afghanistan,weblink Politico, August 18, 2021, March 1, 2022, November 26, 2021,weblink live, On August 16, Biden addressed the "messy" situation, taking responsibility for it, and admitting that the situation "unfolded more quickly than we had anticipated".NEWS, Watson, Kathryn, Biden says "buck stops with me" and defends Afghanistan withdrawal,weblink August 17, 2021, CBS News, August 16, 2021, August 17, 2021,weblink live, He defended his decision to withdraw, saying that Americans should not be "dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves."NEWS, Blake, Aaron, Biden says the 'buck stops with me' — while pinning blame on Trump and many Afghans,weblink August 17, 2021, The Washington Post, August 16, 2021, August 17, 2021,weblink live, On August 26, a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and 169 Afghans. On August 27, an American drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets, who were "planners and facilitators", according to a U.S. Army general.NEWS, Michael, Collins, Tom Vanden, Brook, Deirdre, Shesgreen, Biden said US would 'hunt' down Kabul airport attackers. A day later, a drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets,weblink USA Today, August 28, 2021, August 29, 2021, August 30, 2021,weblink live, On August 29, another American drone strike killed ten civilians, including seven children. The Defense Department initially claimed the strike was conducted on an Islamic State suicide bomber threatening Kabul Airport, but admitted the suspect was harmless on September 17, calling its killing of civilians "a tragic mistake".NEWS, Stewart, Phil, Ali, Idrees, U.S. says Kabul drone strike killed 10 civilians, including children, in 'tragic mistake',weblink September 19, 2021, Reuters, September 19, 2021, September 21, 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210921115447weblink">weblink live, The U.S. military completed withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30. Biden called the extraction of over 120,000 Americans, Afghans and other allies "an extraordinary success".NEWS, Madhani, Aamer, Freking, Kevin, Biden defends departure from 'forever war,' praises airlift,weblink September 5, 2021, Associated Press, September 1, 2021, September 8, 2021,weblink live, He acknowledged that up to 200 Americans who wanted to leave did not, despite his August 18 pledge to keep troops in Afghanistan until all Americans who wanted to leave had left.NEWS, Gore, D'Angelo, Farley, Robert, Robertson, Lori, How Many Americans and Allies Are Left in Afghanistan?,weblink September 5, 2021, Factcheck.org, September 2, 2021, September 8, 2021,weblink live,

Aid to Ukraine

File:President Biden met with refugees from Ukraine in Warsaw.jpg|thumb|Biden with refugees from Ukraine in alt=Photo of a smiling Biden holding a child, with a mask lowered onto his chinIn late February 2022, after warning for several weeks that an attack was imminent, Biden led the U.S. response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, imposing severe sanctions on Russia and authorizing over $8 billion in weapons shipments to Ukraine.NEWS, Shear, Michael D., Kanno-Youngs, Zolan, Rogers, Katie, February 28, 2022, 10 Consequential Days: How Biden Navigated War, Covid and the Supreme Court, The New York Times,weblink March 17, 2022, 0362-4331, March 21, 2022,weblink live, NEWS, Parker, Ashley, Harris, Shane, Birnbaum, Michael, Hudson, John, February 25, 2022, 13 days: Inside Biden's last-ditch attempts to stop Putin in Ukraine, The Washington Post,weblink March 16, 2022, February 26, 2022,weblink live, NEWS, Mason, Jeff, Bose, Nandita, March 16, 2022, Biden calls Putin a 'war criminal,' sending more weapons to Ukraine, Reuters,weblink March 18, 2022, March 19, 2022,weblink live, On April 29, Biden asked Congress for $33 billion for Ukraine,NEWS, War in Ukraine: U.S. dramatically upgrades its aid package to Kyiv, Piotr, Smolar,weblink Le Monde, April 29, 2022, June 18, 2022, May 10, 2022,weblink live, WEB, 2022-04-29, Biden seeks $33B for Ukraine, signaling long-term commitment,weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en, but lawmakers later increased it to about $40 billion.NEWS, House approves $40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request, Alan, Fram,weblink Associated Press News, May 11, 2022, June 18, 2022, May 11, 2022,weblink live, NEWS, Sonmez, Felicia, Jeong, Andrew, May 10, 2022, House approves nearly $40 billion in aid to Ukraine as it fights off Russian aggression,weblink May 11, 2024, The Washington Post, NEWS, Zengerle, Patricia, May 19, 2022, After delay, U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approves $40 billion in Ukraine aid,weblink May 11, 2024, Reuters, Biden blamed Vladimir Putin for the emerging energy and food crises.NEWS, Biden blames 'Putin's invasion of Ukraine' for rising gas, food prices globally,weblink Hindustan Times, April 2, 2022, June 18, 2022, May 16, 2022,weblink live, NEWS, Ukraine war: Hungry Africans are victims of the conflict, Macky Sall tells Vladimir Putin,weblink BBC News, June 3, 2022, June 18, 2022, June 11, 2022,weblink live, NEWS, Holland, Steve, Nichols, Michelle, September 21, 2022, Biden accuses Putin of irresponsible nuclear threats, violating U.N. charter,weblink May 11, 2024, Reuters, On February 20, 2023, four days before the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden visited Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.NEWS, February 20, 2023, Luke, Harding, 'This is a part of history': Kyiv citizens delighted by Joe Biden's surprise visit,weblink February 20, 2023, The Guardian, While there, he promised more military aid to Ukraine and denounced the war.NEWS, Child, David, Putin's war plans 'plain wrong', Biden says in Ukraine,weblink live,weblink February 20, 2023, February 20, 2023, Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera, In 2022, Congress approved about $113 billion in aid to Ukraine.NEWS, $113 billion: Where the US investment in Ukraine aid has gone,weblink CNN, September 21, 2023, In October 2023, the Biden administration requested an additional $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine for the year ahead.NEWS, The White House is asking for almost $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine and the border,weblink NPR, October 26, 2023,

NATO enlargement

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden expressed support for the expansion of NATO to cover both Sweden and Finland.WEB, Holland, Steve,weblink Biden shows support for Sweden's NATO bid in talks with PM, Reuters, July 5, 2023, WEB, Holland, Steve, Mason, Jeff,weblink Biden cheers Finland, Sweden NATO plans as Turkey balks, Reuters, May 19, 2022, On August 9, 2022, he signed the instruments of ratification stipulating U.S. support for their mutual entry into the security pact.WEB, Mason, Jeff, Zengerle, Patricia,weblink Biden signs documents of U.S. support for Sweden, Finland to join NATO, Reuters, August 9, 2022, WEB, 2022-08-09, Biden formalizes US support for Finland, Sweden joining NATO,weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en, While Finnish ascenscion occurred on April 4, 2023, opposition by Hungary and Turkey to Swedish entry into the organization led to a stalemate.WEB, John, Tara,weblink Finland joins NATO, doubling military alliance's border with Russia in a blow for Putin, CNN, April 4, 2023, Biden led diplomatic talks between the two nations resulting in formal Swedish ascension into NATO on March 7, 2024.WEB, Pettypiece, Shannon,weblink Biden meets with heads of Finland, Sweden in show of support for NATO membership, NBC News, May 19, 2022, WEB, Min Kim, Seung, Megerian, Chris, Tanner, Jari,weblink Biden proclaims NATO alliance 'more united than ever' in contrast to predecessor Trump, The AP, July 12, 2023, He has also expressed openness to Ukrainian entry into NATO following the end of the conflict.WEB, Martinez, A, Khalid, Asma,weblink Biden is in Europe to focus on U.S. alliances and NATO expansion, NPR, July 10, 2023, In doing so he has supported an expedited timetable in its ascension and the removal of requirements such as the Membership Action Plan typically required for NATO entry.WEB, Klein, Betsy,weblink Assurances that Ukraine's future is in NATO and new security guarantees calm worries at final day of summit, CNN, July 12, 2023, WEB, Liptak, Kevin, Hansler, Jennifer,weblink Biden holding firm on Ukraine joining NATO, CNN, June 14, 2023,

China relations

{{Further information|China–United States relations}}File:President Biden met with Xi Jinping before the 2022 G20 Bali Summit.jpg|thumb|left|Biden with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Bali, November 14, 2022]]China's assertiveness, particularly in the Pacific, remains a challenge for Biden. The Solomon Islands-China security pact caused alarm, as China could build military bases across the South Pacific. Biden sought to strengthen ties with Australia and New Zealand in the wake of the deal, as Anthony Albanese succeeded to the premiership of Australia and Jacinda Ardern's government took a firmer line on Chinese influence.NEWS, Ralph, Jennings, US Beefs Up South Pacific Aid, Diplomacy as China Spreads Its Influence,weblink July 13, 2022, July 18, 2022, Voice of America, NEWS, May 24, 2022, In meeting with Biden, Australia's Albanese recalls colourful first trip to U.S., Reuters, Kirsty, Needham,weblink July 18, 2022, WEB, What the China-Solomon Islands Pact Means for the U.S. and South Pacific,weblink May 4, 2022, Zongyuan Zoe, Liu, July 18, 2022, Council on Foreign Relations, In a September 2022 interview with 60 Minutes, Biden said that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of "an unprecedented attack" by the Chinese,WEB, John, Ruwitch, Biden, again, says U.S. would help Taiwan if China attacks,weblink NPR, January 29, 2023, which is in contrast to the long-standing U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward China and Taiwan.MAGAZINE, Kine, Phelim, Biden leaves no doubt: 'Strategic ambiguity' toward Taiwan is dead,weblink Politico, September 19, 2022, January 29, 2023, WEB, A bristling China says Biden remarks on Taiwan "severely violate" U.S. policy,weblink CBS News, September 19, 2022, January 29, 2023, NEWS, Analysis {{!, Biden's most hawkish comments on Taiwan yet |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/19/biden-taiwan-china-defense/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=January 28, 2023}} In late 2022, Biden issued several executive orders and federal rules designed to slow Chinese technological growth, and maintain U.S. leadership over computing, biotech, and clean energy.MAGAZINE, Bade, Gavin, 'A sea change': Biden reverses decades of Chinese trade policy,weblink December 30, 2022, Politico, December 26, 2022, On February 4, 2023, Biden ordered the United States Air Force to shoot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.NEWS, Baldor, Lolita C., Copp, Tara, China balloon: Many questions about suspected spy in the sky,weblink Associated Press, February 4, 2023, February 9, 2023, February 9, 2023,weblink live, WEB,weblink F-22 Safely Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off South Carolina Coast, Garamone, Jim, February 4, 2023, United States Department of Defense, February 12, 2023, live,weblink February 11, 2023, A U.S. Air Force fighter safely shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a written statement., The State Department said the balloon carried antennas and other equipment capable of geolocating communications signals, and similar balloons from China have flown over more than 40 nations.NEWS, Hudson, John, Nakashima, Ellen, Lamothe, Dan, February 9, 2023, U.S. declassifies balloon intelligence, calls out China for spying, The Washington Post,weblink live, limited, February 9, 2023,weblink February 10, 2023, The Chinese government denied that the balloon was a surveillance device, instead claiming it was a civilian (mainly meteorological) airship that had blown off course.NEWS, Lee, Matthew, February 4, 2023, Chinese balloon soars across US; Blinken scraps Beijing trip,weblink live, Associated Press, February 5, 2023,weblink February 5, 2023, The incident was seen as damaging to U.S. and China relations.NEWS, Pamuk, Humeyra, Ali, Idrees, Martina, Michael, Ali, Idrees, February 4, 2023, September 30, 2023, Blinken postpones China trip over 'unacceptable' Chinese spy balloon, Reuters,weblink NEWS, Cadell, Cate, Hudson, John, Abutaleb, Yasmeen, Blinken postpones China trip as suspected spy balloon detected over U.S., The Washington Post,weblink limited, February 5, 2023, NEWS, Hansler, Jennifer, Liptak, Kevin, Herb, Jeremy, Atwood, Kylie, Sciutto, Kylie, Liebermann, Oren, February 3, 2023, Blinken postpones trip to Beijing after Chinese spy balloon spotted over US, officials say, CNN,weblink live, February 5, 2023,weblink February 4, 2023,

Israel

File:Isaac Herzog at Ben Gurion Airport, October 2023 (ABG 4491).jpg|thumb|Biden with Israeli president Isaac Herzog and prime minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin NetanyahuIn October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that devolved into a war, jeopardizing the administration's push to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.NEWS, Wong, Edward, Mazzetti, Mark, Nereim, Vivian, October 9, 2023, U.S. Continues Push for Saudi-Israel Ties Even as War With Hamas Begins, The New York Times,weblink October 31, 2023, 0362-4331, Biden stated his unequivocal support for Israel and condemned the attack by Hamas.NEWS, Baker, Peter, October 10, 2023, In Unforgiving Terms, Biden Condemns 'Evil' and 'Abhorrent' Attack on Israel,weblink live,weblink October 12, 2023, October 12, 2023, The New York Times, 0362-4331, He deployed aircraft carriers in the region to deter others from joining the war,NEWS, Collinson, Stephen, October 18, 2023, What Biden did and didn't achieve during his trip to Israel,weblink October 31, 2023, CNN, and called for an additional $14 billion in military aid to Israel.NEWS, Demirjian, Karoun, October 20, 2023, Details of Biden's $105 Billion Funding Request for Israel and Ukraine, The New York Times,weblink October 31, 2023, 0362-4331, He later began pressuring Israel to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.NEWS, Shear, Michael D., Sanger, David E., Wong, Edward, October 30, 2023, Biden's Support for Israel Now Comes With Words of Caution, The New York Times,weblink October 31, 2023, 0362-4331, Biden rejected calls for a ceasefire but said he supported "humanitarian pauses" to deliver aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.NEWS, Bendery, Jennifer, Joe Biden On The Chances Of A Gaza Cease-Fire: 'None. No Possibility.',weblink HuffPost, November 9, 2023, He asked Israel to pause its invasion of Gaza for at least three days to allow for hostage negotiations; Israel agreed to daily four-hour pauses.NEWS, November 9, 2023, Israel agrees to 4-hour daily pauses in Gaza fighting to allow civilians to flee, White House says,weblink November 13, 2023, Associated Press News, He also directed the U.S. military to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.WEB, 2024-03-07, Biden Ordering US Military to Build Port in Gaza to Facilitate Aid,weblink 2024-04-29, Voice of America, en, Biden has said he is a Zionist.NEWS, Spetalnick, Matt, Mason, Jeff, Holland, Steve, Zengerle, Patricia, October 23, 2023, January 6, 2024, 'I am a Zionist': How Joe Biden's lifelong bond with Israel shapes war policy,weblink Reuters, NEWS, December 12, 2023, January 6, 2024, 'I am a Zionist,' says Biden at Hanukkah event, promises continued military assistance to Israel,weblink The Times of Israel, As of May 2024, Biden has continued to support Israel during the course of the war despite significant domestic opposition to American involvement in it and subsequent widespread protests. A March 2024 Gallup poll found that a strong majority of Americans disapproved of Israeli conduct during the war.WEB, Jones, Jeffrey, March 27, 2024, Majority in U.S. Now Disapprove of Israeli Action in Gaza,weblink April 3, 2024, Gallup Inc., en, It found that 36% approved "of the military action Israel has taken in Gaza" and 55% disapproved. Young Americans have been significantly less supportive of Israel than older generations.WEB, 2023-12-21, Biden threatened by generation gap on Israel among Democrats, Yahoo News/YouGov poll finds,weblink 2024-03-02, Yahoo! News, en-US, WEB, Jennings, Rebecca, 2023-12-13, TikTok isn't creating false support for Palestine. It's just reflecting what's already there.,weblink 2024-03-01, Vox, en, Beginning in April 2024, widespread Israel–Hamas war protests emerged on university campuses, denouncing Biden.NEWS, Astor, Maggie, 2024-04-30, College Democrats Back Protests and Criticize Biden's Israel Policy,weblink 2024-05-01, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331,

Other foreign issues

On February 4, 2021, the Biden administration announced that the United States was ending its support for the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen.WEB, Knickmeyer, Ellen, February 5, 2021, Biden ending US support for Saudi-led offensive in Yemen,weblink live,weblink October 23, 2021, February 5, 2021, Associated Press, In early February 2022, Biden ordered the counterterrorism raid in northern Syria that resulted in the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the second leader of the Islamic State.PRESS RELEASE, February 3, 2022, Statement by President Joe Biden,weblink February 3, 2022, The White House, February 3, 2022,weblink live, In late July, Biden approved the drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second leader of Al-Qaeda, and an integral member in the planning of the September 11 attacks.NEWS,weblink U.S. Drone Strike Kills Ayman al-Zawahri, Top Qaeda Leader, August 1, 2022, Baker, Peter, Cooper, Helene, Barnes, Julian, Schmitt, Eric, The New York Times, August 1, 2022, August 1, 2022,weblink live, The 2022 OPEC+ oil production cut caused a diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia, widening the rift between the two countries, and threatening a longstanding alliance.NEWS,weblink Biden Vows 'Consequences' for Saudi Arabia After Oil Production Cut, The New York Times, October 11, 2022, Baker, Peter, NEWS,weblinkweblink December 10, 2022, subscription, live, Joe Biden warns of 'consequences' for Saudi Arabia after oil production cuts, Financial Times, October 12, 2022,

Investigations

Retaining of classified documents

On November 2, 2022, while packing files at the Penn Biden Center, Biden's attorneys found classified documents dating from his vice presidency in a "locked closet".NEWS, Collins, Phil, Mattingly, Evan, Perez, Maegan, Vazquez, Kevin, Liptak, Kaitlan, January 11, 2023, Biden's legal team found another batch of classified documents in search of second location,weblink January 12, 2023, CNN, NEWS, Baker, Peter, Savage, Charlie, Thrush, Glenn, Goldman, Adam, January 10, 2023, Biden Lawyers Found Classified Material at His Former Office,weblink January 12, 2023, The New York Times, According to the White House, the documents were reported that day to the U.S. National Archives, which recovered them the next day. On November 14, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed U.S. attorney John R. Lausch Jr. to conduct an investigation.NEWS,weblink Timeline of the Biden Documents Case: What We Know So Far, Shpigel, Ben, January 12, 2023, The New York Times, January 14, 2023, January 14, 2023,weblink live, NEWS, Chowdhury, Maureen, Hammond, Elise, Meyer, Matt, Sangal, Aditi, January 12, 2023, Garland lays out timeline of investigation into Biden classified documents so far,weblink live,weblink January 13, 2023, January 12, 2023, CNN, On December 20, a second batch of classified documents was discovered in the garage of Biden's Wilmington, Delaware residence.NEWS, Savage, Charlie, January 12, 2023, Second Set of Classified Documents Were Found at Biden's Wilmington Home, White House Says,weblink January 12, 2023, The New York Times, The findings broke news on January 9, 2023, after CBS News published an article on the Lausch investigation.NEWS, Diaz, Adriana, Triay, Andres, Farhi, Arden, January 9, 2023, U.S. attorney reviewing documents marked classified from Joe Biden's vice presidency found at Biden think tank,weblink March 12, 2024, CBS News, Farley, Robert (January 19, 2023). Timeline of Biden’s Classified Documents. FactCheck.org. On January 12, Garland appointed Robert K. Hur as special counsel to investigate "possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records".NEWS, Johnson, Carrie, January 12, 2023, A special counsel will probe government documents at Biden's home and private office, NPR,weblink January 12, 2023, On January 20, after a 13-hour consensual search by FBI investigators, six more items with classified markings were recovered from Biden's Wilmington residence.NEWS, Shear, Michael D., Rogers, Katie, January 22, 2023, Investigators Seize More Classified Documents From Biden's Home,weblink January 22, 2023, The New York Times, FBI agents searched Biden's home in Rehoboth Beach on February 1 and collected papers and notes from his time as vice president, but did not find any classified information.NEWS,weblink FBI found no classified documents in search of Biden home in Rehoboth, lawyer says, Mangan, Dan, February 1, 2023, CNBC, February 16, 2023, On February 8, 2024, Hur concluded the special counsel investigation and announced that no charges would be brought against Biden.NEWS, Rebecca, Beitsch, Brett, Samuels, February 8, 2024, Special counsel finds Biden 'willfully' retained classified documents, no charges filed,weblink The Hill, en, February 9, 2024, February 8, 2024,weblink live,

Business activities

{{further|Impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden}}On January 11, 2023, the House of Representatives launched an investigative committee into the foreign business activities of Biden's son, Hunter, and brother, James.NEWS, Sforza, Lauren, New GOP Oversight chair launches probes into Biden finances, Hunter Biden laptop story,weblink The Hill, January 11, 2023, January 12, 2023, January 12, 2023,weblink live, The committee's chair, Representative James Comer, simultaneously investigated alleged corruption related to the Hunter Biden laptop controversy.NEWS, Wolf, Zachary B., Here's what to know about GOP claims of a Biden scandal,weblink CNN, June 9, 2023, On September 12, House speaker Kevin McCarthy initiated a formal impeachment inquiry against Biden, saying that the recent House investigations "paint a picture of corruption" by Biden and his family.WEB, Mascaro, Lisa, Farnoush, Amiri, Speaker McCarthy directs the House to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden,weblink Associated Press News, September 12, 2023, September 12, 2023, WEB, Zanona, Melania, Tablot, Haley, Fox, Lauren, Grayer, Annie, McCarthy calls for formal impeachment inquiry into Biden amid pressure from conservatives,weblink CNN, September 12, 2023, September 12, 2023, MAGAZINE, Cortellessa, Eric, McCarthy Lacks the Votes For an Impeachment Inquiry. Trump's Allies Have a Plan to Get Them.,weblink Time (magazine), Time, September 8, 2023, NEWS, Griffing, Alex, 'He Doesn't Have Enough Votes': CNN's Manu Raju Explains Why McCarthy Backtracked on Impeachment Vote,weblink Mediaite, September 12, 2023, Congressional investigations, most notably by the House Oversight committee, have discovered no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden as of December 2023.{{Efn|Attributed to multiple sources:NEWS, Broadwater, Luke, House Republican Report Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by President Biden,weblink The New York Times, May 10, 2023, NEWS, Demirjian, Karoun, Republicans Are Divided on Impeaching Biden as Panel Begins New Inquiry,weblink The New York Times, July 4, 2023, NEWS, How a fight over immunity unraveled Hunter Biden's plea deal,weblink The Washington Post, August 17, 2023, Perry, Stein, Devlin, Barrett, Matt, Viser, MAGAZINE, Otten, Tori, McCarthy Plans Biden Impeachment Inquiry—With No Evidence and Not Enough Votes,weblink The New Republic, September 12, 2023, }} On December 13, 2023, the House of Representatives voted 221–212 to formalize an impeachment inquiry into Biden.NEWS, Brooks, Emily, Biden impeachment inquiry risks backfiring on House GOP,weblink The Hill, December 17, 2023, December 17, 2023, NEWS, Diver, Tony, Staff, Our Foreign, December 13, 2023, US House votes to open Biden impeachment inquiry, The Daily Telegraph,weblink December 15, 2023, 0307-1235, NEWS, Rebecca Beitsch, Emily Brooks, December 13, 2023, House formally approves Biden impeachment inquiry,weblink December 14, 2023, The Hill,

2024 presidential campaign

Ending months of speculation,NEWS,weblink Why the 2024 Race Is Eerily Quiet, Martin, Jonathan, Politico, December 13, 2022, July 26, 2023, NEWS,weblink Biden likely to announce 2024 reelection bid not long after State of the Union address, Cordes, Nancy, O'Keefe, Ed, Gomez, Fin, CBS, January 19, 2023, July 26, 2023, on April 25, 2023, Biden confirmed he would run for reelection as president in the 2024 election, with Harris again as his running mate. The campaign launched four years to the day after the start of his 2020 presidential campaign.NEWS, Miller, Zeke, April 25, 2023, Biden announces 2024 reelection bid: 'Let's finish this job', Associated Press,weblink April 25, 2023, On the day of his announcement, a Gallup poll found that Biden's approval rating was 37 percent.NEWS,weblink Biden Begins Reelection Bid at Low Point in His Presidency, Jones, Jeffrey M., Gallup Inc., April 27, 2023, July 26, 2023, Most of those surveyed in the poll said the economy was their biggest concern. During his campaign, Biden has promoted higher economic growth and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.WEB, June 22, 2023,weblink Bidenomics: President Biden and Congressional Democrats' Plan to Grow the Economy from the Bottom Up and Middle Out, Not the Top Down, Is Delivering for the American People, Whitehouse.gov, June 28, 2023, NEWS,weblink Eyes on 2024: Bidenomics back on the campaign trail, Marquez, Alexandra, Bowman, Bridget, Kamisar, Ben, NBC News, July 20, 2023, July 26, 2023, He has frequently stated his intention to "finish the job" as a political rallying cry.NEWS, 'It's Time to Finish the Job,' Biden Tells Union Workers as He Starts '24 Race,weblink New York Times, April 25, 2023, January 7, 2024, NEWS, Lemire, Jonathan, February 7, 2023, Biden urges GOP lawmakers to ‘finish the job’ and takes a few swipes at them too,weblink May 11, 2024, Politico,

2024 primaries

Biden was not on the ballot in the January 23 New Hampshire primary, but won it in a write-in campaign with 63.8% of the vote. He had wanted South Carolina to be the first primary, and won that state on February 3 with 96.2% of the vote.NEWS, South Carolina Democratic Primary Results, The New York Times, February 3, 2024,weblink February 4, 2024, Biden received 89.3% of the vote in Nevada and 81.1% of the vote in Michigan, with "none of these candidates" and "uncommitted" coming in second in each state, respectively. On March 5 ("Super Tuesday"), he won 15 of 16 primaries, netting 80% or more of the vote in 13 of them.WEB,weblink 2024 U.S. Election - Latest News and Updates on Presidential and State Races, 2024 Election - Latest News and Updates, NEWS,weblink Super Tuesday Results: Key Races to Watch, The New York Times, March 5, 2024, On March 12, he reached more than the 1,968 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination, becoming the presumptive nominee.WEB, Schneider, Elena, Biden officially clinches Democratic nomination for president,weblink Politico, March 12, 2024, WEB, 2024-03-12, How Biden won enough delegates for another Democratic presidential nomination,weblink 2024-05-11, AP News, en,

Political positions

File:Barack Obama & Joe Biden with Mikhail Gorbachev 3-20.09.jpg|thumb|Mikhail Gorbachev (right) being introduced to President Obama by Joe Biden, March 2009. U.S. ambassador to Russia alt=Photo of Obama, Biden and Gorbachev smiling at each otherFile:Pope_Francis_and_Joe_Biden_at_the_White_House.jpg|thumb|Pope FrancisPope FrancisAs a senator, Biden was regarded as a moderate Democrat.WEB, John, Kruzel,weblink May 6, 2019, Joe Biden claims he was a staunch liberal in the Senate. He wasn't, PolitiFact, May 6, 2019, May 6, 2019,weblink live, As a presidential nominee, Biden's platform was the most progressive of any major party platform in history, although not within his party's ideological vanguard.WEB, Louis, Jacobson,weblink April 17, 2020, Is Joe Biden's platform as progressive as Obama says?, PolitiFact, Biden says his positions are deeply influenced by Catholic social teaching.BOOK, Lamport, Mark, The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Contemporary Christianity in the United States, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2022, 9781538138816, 113, NEWS, Rocca, Francis X., February 5, 2021, Can Catholic Social Teaching Unite a Divided America?, The Wall Street Journal,weblink September 28, 2023, 0099-9660, WEB, O'Dowd, Niall, Niall O'Dowd, April 30, 2021, Joe Biden's Catholic social teaching central to his presidency,weblink September 28, 2023, IrishCentral, According to political scientist Carlo Invernizzi Accetti, "it has become second nature to describe his politics with such ready-made labels as centrist or moderate."MAGAZINE, Accetti, Carlo Invernizzi, March 16, 2020, Joe Biden Isn't a Liberal or a Moderate. He's a Christian Democrat.,weblink October 20, 2023, Foreign Policy, Accetti says that Biden represents an Americanized form of Christian democracy, taking positions characteristic of both the center-right and center-left. Biden has cited the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain, credited with starting the Christian democratic movement, as immensely influential in his thinking.MAGAZINE, Cairns, Madoc, May 3, 2023, The Red Christian,weblink October 20, 2023, New Statesman, Other analysts have likened his ideology to traditional liberalism, "a doctrine of liberty, equality, justice and individual rights that relies, in the modern age, on a strong federal government for enforcement".NEWS, Greenberg, David, September 12, 2019, The danger of confusing liberals and leftists,weblink August 6, 2020, The Washington Post, WEB,weblink The difference between "left" and "liberal" — and why voters need to know, Broich, John, Salon (website), Salon, August 4, 2019, Such analysts distinguish liberals, who believe in a regulated market economy, from the left, who believe in greater economic intervention or a command economy. In 2022, journalist Sasha Issenberg wrote that Biden's "most valuable political skill" was "an innate compass for the ever-shifting mainstream of the Democratic Party".NEWS, Issenberg, Sasha, May 6, 2022, How Same-Sex Marriage Shaped Joe Biden,weblink May 6, 2022, Politico, Biden has proposed partially reversing the corporate tax cuts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, saying that doing so would not hurt businesses' ability to hire.NEWS, Joseph, Zeballos-Roig, September 11, 2020, Joe Biden pledges to roll back Trump's corporate tax cuts on 'day one,' saying it won't hurt businesses' ability to hire, Business Insider,weblink November 13, 2020, November 22, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Megan, Henney, June 30, 2020, Biden pledges to roll back Trump's tax cuts: 'A lot of you may not like that', Fox Business,weblink November 13, 2020, November 12, 2020,weblink live, But he supports raising the corporate tax only up to 28% from the 21% established in the 2017 bill, not back to 35%, the corporate tax rate until 2017.WEB, Adam N., Michel, March 9, 2023,weblink May 13, 2023, Cato Institute, The 8 Biggest Tax Increases in Biden's Budget, He voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)WEB, dead, Final Senate Vote on NAFTA, Public Citizen,weblink August 22, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080608182639weblink">weblink June 8, 2008, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.NEWS, Mike, Lillis, January 28, 2016, Biden coaxes Dems on Obama trade deal,weblink The Hill (newspaper), The Hill, January 24, 2021, November 7, 2019,weblink live, Biden is a staunch supporter of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).NEWS, Dan, Diamond, July 15, 2019, August 26, 2021,weblink Biden unveils health care plan: Affordable Care Act 2.0, live,weblink January 3, 2021, Politico, NEWS, Bill, Barrow, July 15, 2019, August 26, 2021,weblink Biden aggressively defends the Affordable Care Act, live,weblink January 3, 2021, Associated Press, PBS, He has promoted a plan to expand and build upon it, paid for by revenue gained from reversing some Trump administration tax cuts. Biden's plan aims to expand health insurance coverage to 97% of Americans, including by creating a public health insurance option.WEB, Scott, Dylan, August 20, 2020, Joe Biden has a chance to finish the work of Obamacare,weblink November 27, 2020, Vox (website), Vox, November 5, 2020,weblink live, Biden did not support national same-sex marriage rights while in the Senate and voted for the Defense of Marriage Act,WEB, Roll Call Votes 104th Congress - 2nd Session, September 10, 1996,weblink May 13, 2023, United States Senate, but opposed proposals for constitutional amendments that would have banned same-sex marriage nationwide.WEB, Roll Call Vote 109th Congress - 2nd Session,weblink June 7, 2006, May 13, 2023, United States Senate, Biden has supported same-sex marriage since 2012.NEWS, Nagourney, Adam, Kaplan, Thomas, June 21, 2020, August 26, 2021, Behind Joe Biden's Evolution on L.G.B.T.Q. Rights, The New York Times,weblinkweblink June 21, 2020, subscription, live, NEWS, May 6, 2012, May 6: Joe Biden, Kelly Ayotte, Diane Swonk, Tom Brokaw, Chuck Todd, NBC News,weblink April 5, 2013, April 5, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130405045344weblink">weblink live, As a senator, Biden forged deep relationships with police groups and was a chief proponent of a Police Officer's Bill of Rights measure that police unions supported but police chiefs opposed.NEWS, Kranish, Michael, June 9, 2020, Joe Biden let police groups write his crime bill. Now, his agenda has changed., The Washington Post,weblink live, November 13, 2020,weblink November 12, 2020, NEWS, McDermott, Nathan, Steck, Em, June 10, 2020, Biden repeatedly pushed bill in Senate that critics said would have made investigating police officers for misconduct more difficult,weblink live,weblink November 16, 2020, November 13, 2020, CNN, In 2020, Biden also ran on decriminalizing cannabis,WEB, December 28, 2020, President-Elect Joe Biden and the Future of Cannabis Policy in America, Whitt, Steineker, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings,weblink August 22, 2023, after advocating harsher penalties for drug use as a U.S. senator.NEWS, October 9, 1982, U.S. Plans A New Drive On Narcotics, The New York Times,weblink Leslie, Maitland, August 22, 2023, WEB, Democratic Response to Drug Policy Address,weblink May 13, 2023, C-SPAN.org, Biden believes action must be taken on global warming. As a senator, he co-sponsored the Boxer–Sanders Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, the most stringent climate bill in the United States Senate.MAGAZINE, January 3, 2008, A look at the environmental record of Joe Biden, Barack Obama's running mate, Grist (magazine), Grist,weblink May 4, 2008, May 26, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100526083021weblink">weblink live, Biden supports nature conservation. According to a report from the Center for American Progress, he broke several records in this domain.WEB, Biden reached conservation records in 2023,weblink Center for Western Priorities, December 21, 2023, January 31, 2024, He took steps to protect Old-growth forests.NEWS, Aratani, Lauren, Joe Biden plans to ban logging in US old-growth forests in 2025,weblink January 31, 2024, The Guardian, December 19, 2023, Biden opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.WEB, Presidential Candidates views on ANWR, The Democrats,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080807162357weblink">weblink August 7, 2008, August 25, 2008, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, He wants to achieve a carbon-free power sector in the U.S. by 2035 and stop emissions completely by 2050.NEWS, Carr, Bob, September 2, 2020, Joe Biden's bold climate policies would leave Australia behind, The Guardian,weblink September 21, 2020, September 21, 2020,weblink live, His program includes reentering the Paris Agreement, green building and more.NEWS, Moore, Elena, October 16, 2020, Trump's And Biden's Plans For The Environment, NPR,weblink October 21, 2020, October 30, 2020,weblink live, Biden supports environmental justice, including climate justice and ocean justice,NEWS, Rice, Doyle, Voyles Pulver, Dinah, Biden Administration announces first-ever Ocean Justice Strategy. What's that?,weblink December 18, 2023, USA Today, December 7, 2023, BOOK, OCEAN JUSTICE STRATEGY, December 2023, OCEAN POLICY COMMITTEE, 23,weblink December 18, 2023, and has taken steps to implement it.WEB, Environmental Justice,weblink The White House, May 14, 2023, A major step is increasing energy efficiency, water efficiency and resilience to climate disasters in low-income houses for mitigate climate change, reduce costs, improve health and safety.NEWS, Joselow, Maxine, Biden announces new fund to help low-income housing get climate upgrades,weblink May 14, 2023, The Washington Post, May 11, 2023, WEB, Higgins, Marisa, Biden Administration Allocates $830 Million in Energy-Efficient Low-Income Housing,weblink Environmental + Energy leader, May 12, 2023, May 14, 2023, Biden has called global temperature rise above the 1.5 degree limit the "only existential threat humanity faces even more frightening than a nuclear war".NEWS, Clifford, Catherine, Biden says global warming topping 1.5 degrees in the next 10 to 20 years is scarier than nuclear war,weblink October 27, 2023, CNBC, September 11, 2023, Despite his clean energy policies and congressional Republicans characterizing them as a "War on American Energy", domestic oil production reached a record high in October 2023.NEWS, Borenstein, Seth, US oil production hits all-time high, conflicting with efforts to cut heat-trapping pollution,weblink Associated Press, October 20, 2023, Biden has said the U.S. needs to "get tough" on China, calling it the "most serious competitor" that poses challenges to the United States' "prosperity, security, and democratic values".MAGAZINE, Why America Must Lead Again, Biden, Joseph R. Jr., Foreign Affairs, January 23, 2020, January 29, 2021,weblink WEB, Remarks by President Biden on America's Place in the World, The White House, February 4, 2021, February 6, 2021,weblink Biden has spoken about human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region to the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, pledging to sanction and commercially restrict Chinese government officials and entities who carry out repression.NEWS, Edward, Wong, Crawley, Michael, Swanson, Ana, September 6, 2020, Joe Biden's China Journey, The New York Times,weblink November 13, 2020, November 12, 2020,weblink live, MAGAZINE, Peter, Martin, Saleha, Mohsin, Nick, Wadhams, Jenny, Leonard, President Biden Raises Human Rights and Trade Concerns in First Call With China's Xi,weblink Time (magazine), Time, February 11, 2021, February 8, 2021, Biden has said he is against regime change, but for providing non-military support to opposition movements.NEWS, February 6, 2020, August 26, 2021,weblink Foreign Policy, Joseph R. Biden Jr., live,weblink August 11, 2021, The New York Times, He opposed direct U.S. intervention in Libya,NEWS, Peter, Baker, October 9, 2015, August 26, 2021,weblink A Biden Run Would Expose Foreign Policy Differences With Hillary Clinton, live,weblink December 16, 2020, The New York Times, voted against U.S. participation in the Gulf War,NEWS, Peter, Wehner, Biden Was Wrong On the Cold War, The Wall Street Journal,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081006022121weblink">weblink September 4, 2008, October 6, 2008, August 26, 2021, voted in favor of the Iraq War,WEB, Robert, Farley, September 10, 2019, Biden's Record on Iraq War, FactCheck.org,weblink January 24, 2021, January 7, 2021,weblink live, and supports a two-state solution in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.NEWS, December 12, 2019, August 26, 2021,weblink Where does Joe Biden stand on anti-Semitism, Israel and other issues that matter to Jewish voters in 2020?, live,weblink January 11, 2021, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Biden has pledged to end U.S. support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen and to reevaluate the United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia.MAGAZINE, The Democratic candidates on foreign policy, Foreign Policy,weblink June 16, 2020, August 27, 2021,weblink dead, Biden supports extending the New START arms control treaty with Russia to limit the number of nuclear weapons deployed by both sides.NEWS, Jonathan, Landay, Arshad, Mohammed, Biden urged to extend U.S.-Russia arms treaty for full 5 years without conditions,weblink Reuters, November 25, 2020, August 26, 2021, May 12, 2021,weblink dead, WEB, Pifer, Steven, Reviving nuclear arms control under Biden,weblink Brookings Institution, December 1, 2020, January 24, 2021, December 1, 2020,weblink live, In 2021, Biden officially recognized the Armenian genocide, becoming the first U.S. president to do so.NEWS, Kevin, Liptak, Biden officially recognizes the massacre of Armenians in World War I as a genocide,weblink CNN, April 24, 2021, April 25, 2021, {{efn|In 1981, President Ronald Reagan referred to the Armenian genocide in passing in a statement regarding The Holocaust, but never made a formal declaration recognizing it.NEWS, Borger, Julian, Chulov, Martin, Biden becomes first US president to recognise Armenian genocide,weblink The Observer, February 27, 2023, April 24, 2021, NEWS, Blake, Aaron, April 24, 2021, Analysis {{!, Biden goes where his predecessors wouldn't in recognizing Armenian genocide |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/22/bidens-bold-move-recognize-armenian-genocide/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 27, 2023}}}}Biden has supported abortion rights throughout his presidency, though he personally opposes abortion because of his Catholic faith.WEB, Collins, Michael, Jackson, David, Abortion shapes Joe Biden's and Donald Trump's legacies. It may help one of them win reelection.,weblink USA TODAY, 16 April 2024, WEB, Quinn, Melissa, Biden says he's "not big on abortion" because of Catholic faith, but Roe "got it right" - CBS News,weblink www.cbsnews.com, 16 April 2024, 28 June 2023, In 2019, he said he supported Roe v. Wade and repealing the Hyde Amendment.NEWS, Lerer, Lisa, March 29, 2019, When Joe Biden Voted to Let States Overturn Roe v. Wade, The New York Times,weblink August 8, 2020, 0362-4331, August 6, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Siders, Dave, June 22, 2019, Biden calls for enshrining Roe v. Wade in federal law,weblink live,weblink April 2, 2020, April 19, 2020, Politico, After Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, he criticized near-total bans on abortion access passed in a majority of Republican-controlled states,NEWS, Leonhardt, David, April 6, 2023, The Power and Limits of Abortion Politics, The New York Times,weblink April 7, 2023, 0362-4331, After the Supreme Court overturned Roe last June and allowed states to ban abortion, more than a dozen quickly imposed tight restrictions. Today, abortion is largely illegal in most of red America, even though polls suggest many voters in these states support at least some access., and took measures to protect abortion rights in the United States.NEWS, Panetta, Grace, February 8, 2023, Biden calls out abortion by name and skewers 'extreme' bans in State of the Union address,weblink April 10, 2023, The 19th, He has vowed to sign a bill codifying the protections of Roe into federal law; such a bill passed the House in 2022, but was unable to clear the Senate filibuster.NEWS, Kinery, Emma, Biden promises to codify Roe if two more Democrats are elected to the Senate,weblink May 13, 2023, CNBC, September 23, 2022, NEWS, Hutzler, Alexandra, House passes bills to codify Roe, protect interstate travel for abortion,weblink July 15, 2022, May 13, 2023, ABC News,

Public image

Biden was consistently ranked one of the least wealthy members of the Senate,NEWS, Wallsten, Peter, August 24, 2008, Demographics part of calculation: Biden adds experience, yes, but he could also help with Catholics, blue-collar whites and women, Los Angeles Times,weblink live, August 25, 2008,weblink May 15, 2019, NEWS, Broder, John M., September 13, 2008, Biden Releases Tax Returns, in Part to Pressure Rivals, The New York Times,weblink live, September 13, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110425024153weblink">weblink April 25, 2011, which he attributed to his having been elected young.NEWS, Mooney, Alexander, September 12, 2008, Biden tax returns revealed, CNN,weblink live, September 13, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080913001912weblink">weblink September 13, 2008, Feeling that less-wealthy public officials may be tempted to accept contributions in exchange for political favors, he proposed campaign finance reform measures during his first term. {{As of|2009|November}}, Biden's net worth was $27,012.NEWS, Brian, Montopoli,weblink 237 Millionaires in Congress, CBS News, November 6, 2009, August 25, 2021, August 18, 2021,weblink live, {{As of|2020|November|alt=By November 2020}}, the Bidens were worth $9 million, largely due to sales of Biden's books and speaking fees after his vice presidency.WEB, January 7, 2020, August 25, 2021,weblink President-elect Joe Biden just turned 78. Here's how he went from 'Middle-Class Joe' to millionaire., Taylor, Borden, Business Insider, March 19, 2021,weblink live, MAGAZINE,weblink Here's How Much 2020 Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Is Worth, Michela, Tindera, August 28, 2019, August 24, 2021, Forbes, March 19, 2021,weblink live, The political writer Howard Fineman has written: "Biden is not an academic, he's not a theoretical thinker, he's a great street pol. He comes from a long line of working people in Scranton—auto salesmen, car dealers, people who know how to make a sale. He has that great Irish gift."Political columnist David S. Broder wrote that Biden has grown over time: He responds to real people—that's been consistent throughout. And his ability to understand himself and deal with other politicians has gotten much, much better." Journalist James Traub has written that "Biden is the kind of fundamentally happy person who can be as generous toward others as he is to himself". In recent years, especially after the 2015 death of his elder son Beau, Biden has been noted for his empathetic nature and ability to communicate about grief.MAGAZINE, Baldoni, John, How Empathy Defines Joe Biden,weblink August 20, 2020, March 17, 2021, Forbes, June 18, 2022,weblink live, NEWS, Nagle, Molly, December 19, 2020, Nearly 50 years after death of wife and daughter, empathy remains at Joe Biden's core,weblink March 17, 2021, ABC News, March 2, 2021,weblink live, In 2020, CNN wrote that his presidential campaign aimed to make him "healer-in-chief", while The New York Times described his extensive history of being called upon to give eulogies.NEWS, Glueck, Katie, Flegenheimer, Matt, June 11, 2020, Joe Biden, Emissary of Grief, The New York Times,weblinkweblink June 11, 2020, subscription, live, March 17, 2021, 0362-4331, Journalist and TV anchor Wolf Blitzer has called Biden loquacious;NEWS, January 12, 2006, Transcripts, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, The Situation Room, CNN,weblink live, September 21, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080719103425weblink">weblink July 19, 2008, journalist Mark Bowden has said that he is famous for "talking too much", leaning in close "like an old pal with something urgent to tell you". He often deviates from prepared remarksNEWS, Smith, Ben, December 2, 2008, Biden, enemy of the prepared remarks, Politico,weblink live, December 2, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150911131530weblink">weblink September 11, 2015, and sometimes "puts his foot in his mouth".NEWS, Tapper, Jake, Jake Tapper, January 31, 2007, A Biden Problem: Foot in Mouth, ABC News,weblink live, September 21, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080827211803weblink">weblink August 27, 2008, MAGAZINE, Halperin, Mark, Mark Halperin, August 23, 2008, Halperin on Biden: Pros and Cons, Time (magazine), Time,weblink live, September 21, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140722092813weblink">weblink July 22, 2014, Biden has a reputation for being prone to gaffesNEWS,weblink August 23, 2023, Hindustan Times, Mallika, Bhagat, Watch: Joe Biden's latest gaffe- a rocky start and a counting problem, 'Let me start off with two words: Made in America', October 10, 2022, and in 2018 called himself "a gaffe machine".NEWS, Luke, O'Neil, April 25, 2019, 'I am a gaffe machine': a history of Joe Biden's biggest blunders,weblink January 26, 2021, The Guardian, February 2, 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Broder, John M., September 11, 2008, Hanging On to Biden's Every Word: Biden living up to his gaffe-prone reputation, The New York Times,weblink February 13, 2023, 0362-4331, But, boy, does he say some curious things. A day on the campaign trail without a cringe-inducing gaffe is a rare blessing. He has not been too blessed lately.... a human verbal wrecking crew., The New York Times wrote that Biden's "weak filters make him capable of blurting out pretty much anything." (File:Joe Biden 81st birthday.jpg|thumb|Joe Biden's 81st birthday cake.)Joe Biden is the oldest sitting president in United States history.WEB, Klein, Betsy, 2023-11-20, Biden's birthday prompts debate about age and wisdom of America's oldest president {{!, CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/20/politics/joe-biden-birthday-81/index.html |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=CNN |language=en}}WEB, Baker, Peter, November 19, 2023, For an Aging President, a Birthday With a Bite,weblink March 30, 2024, www.nytimes.com, During his presidency, Republicans, Democrats, and pundits raised questions about Biden's cognitive health in reaction to his publicized gaffes. Biden has repeatedly said that he is fit for the presidency.NEWS, Siegel, Dr. Marc, Should the nation be concerned about Biden's cognitive abilities?,weblink The Hill, NEWS, Stolberg, Sheryl Gay, November 19, 2022, President Biden Is Turning 80. Experts Say Age Is More Than a Number., The New York Times,weblink September 13, 2023, 0362-4331, NEWS, April 25, 2023, How Joe Biden's campaign hopes to overcome his age problem, BBC News,weblink September 13, 2023, NEWS, Joe Biden: 'Why the hell would I take a cognitive test?', BBC News,weblink September 13, 2023, According to The New York Times, Biden often embellishes elements of his life or exaggerates, a trait also noted by The New Yorker in 2014.MAGAZINE, Osnos, Evan, July 20, 2014, The Evolution of Joe Biden,weblink December 6, 2022, The New Yorker, For instance, he has claimed to have been more active in the civil rights movement than he actually was, and has falsely recalled being an excellent student who earned three college degrees. The Times wrote, "Mr. Biden's folksiness can veer into folklore, with dates that don't quite add up and details that are exaggerated or wrong, the factual edges shaved off to make them more powerful for audiences."NEWS, Shear, Michael D., Qiu, Linda,weblink Biden, Storyteller in Chief, Spins Yarns That Often Unravel, The New York Times, October 10, 2022, October 11, 2022,

Job approval

According to Morning Consult polling, Biden maintained an approval rating above 50 percent in the first eight months of his presidency. In August 2021, it began to decline, and it reached the low forties by December.WEB, Jones, Jeffrey M., December 21, 2021, Joe Biden's Job Approval Rating Steady in December,weblink live,weblink January 23, 2022, February 2, 2022, Gallup, Inc., This was attributed to the Afghanistan withdrawal, increasing hospitalizations from the Delta variant, high inflation and gas prices, disarray within the Democratic Party, and a general decline in popularity customary in politics.WEB, Frostenson, Sarah, October 12, 2021, Why Has Biden's Approval Rating Gotten So Low So Quickly?,weblink live,weblink October 12, 2021, February 1, 2022, FiveThirtyEight, MAGAZINE, Graham, David A., November 19, 2021, Six Theories of Joe Biden's Crumbling Popularity,weblink live,weblink January 12, 2022, June 18, 2022, The Atlantic, WEB, Rupar, Aaron, September 20, 2021, Why Biden's approval numbers have sagged, explained by an expert,weblink live,weblink October 28, 2021, February 1, 2022, Vox, WEB, Montanaro, Domenico, September 2, 2021, Biden's Approval Rating Hits A New Low After The Afghanistan Withdrawal,weblink live,weblink October 27, 2021, February 1, 2022, NPR, According to Gallup, Biden averaged 41 percent approval in his second year in office,WEB, Jones, J, January 25, 2023, Biden Averaged 41% Job Approval in His Second Year,weblink January 9, 2024, Gallup.com, en, and 39.8 percent in his third year.WEB, Jones, J, January 25, 2024, Biden's Third-Year Job Approval Average of 39.8% Second Worst,weblink January 28, 2024, Gallup.com, en, In February 2021, Gallup, Inc. reported that 98 percent of Democrats approved of Biden.WEB, Presidential Job Approval Center,weblink July 31, 2022, Gallup, Inc., WEB, Jones, Jeffrey M., February 4, 2021, Biden Begins Term With 57% Job Approval, Gallup, Inc.,weblink July 18, 2023, As of December 2023, that number had declined to 78 percent. His approval rating among Republicans reached a high of 12 percent in February 2021 and again in July 2021.Biden ended 2023 with a job approval rating of 39 percent, the lowest of any modern U.S. president after three years in office.WEB,weblink Biden Ends 2023 With 39% Job Approval, Megan, Brenan, December 22, 2023, Gallup.com,

See also

{hide}column list|

• 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
• 2020 United States presidential debates
• Cabinet of Joe Biden
• Electoral history of Joe Biden
• List of awards and honors received by Joe Biden
• List of things named after Joe Biden
• Bibliography of Joe Biden

{edih}

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

Citations

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Works cited

• BOOK, Bronner, Ethan, Ethan Bronner, Battle for Justice: How the Bork Nomination Shook America, W. W. Norton & Company, 1989, 978-0-393-02690-0,weblink
• BOOK, Gadsden, Brett, Between North and South: Delaware, Desegregation, and the Myth of American Sectionalism,weblink October 8, 2012, University of Pennsylvania Press, 978-0-8122-0797-2,
• BOOK, Mayer, Jane, Jane Mayer, Abramson, Jill, Jill Abramson, Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas, Houghton Mifflin, 1994, 978-0-395-63318-2,weblink
• BOOK, Richard, Wolffe, Richard Wolffe, Renegade: The Making of a President, Crown Publishers, New York, 2009, 978-0-307-46312-8,weblink
• BOOK, Taylor, Paul,weblink See How They Run: Electing the President in an Age of Mediaocracy, Alfred A. Knopf, 1990, 978-0-394-57059-4,
• BOOK, Witcover, Jules,weblink Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption, William Morrow, 2010, 978-0-06-179198-7, New York City, Jules Witcover,

Further reading

• BOOK, Barone, Michael, Michael Barone (pundit), Richard E., Cohen, Richard E. Cohen, 2008, The Almanac of American Politics,weblink registration, National Journal Group, Washington, D.C., 978-0-89234-116-0,
• BOOK, Levingston, Steven, Dyson, Michael, 2019, Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership,weblink Hachette Books, New York, 978-0-316-48788-7,
• BOOK, Charles, Moritz, 1987, Current Biography Yearbook 1987, Current Biography, H. W. Wilson Company, New York,
• O'Toole, Fintan, "Eldest Statesmen", The New York Review of Books, vol. LXXI, no. 1 (January 18, 2024), pp. 17–19. "Biden's signature achievements as president [are] securing large-scale investment in infrastructure and in the transition to a carbon-free economy... [But t]here has been a relentless decline in absolute [economic] mobility from one generation to the next..." (p. 18.) "With the promised bridge to a new generation as yet unbuilt, time is not on Biden's side, or on the side of American democracy." (p. 19.)
• BOOK, Whipple, Chris, 2023, The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House,weblink Charles Scribner's Sons, Scribner, New York, 978-1-9821-0643-0,

External links

{{Library resources box|onlinebooks=yes|by=yes}}

Official

• President Joe Biden official website
• Presidential campaign website
• Obama White House biography (archived)

{{CongLinks |congbio=b000444 |fec=P80000722 |congress=joseph-biden/B000444 }}

Other

• {{C-SPAN|34}}
• {{curlie|Regional/North_America/United_States/Government/Executive_Branch/President/Vice_President_Joe_Biden}}
• {{IMDb name|id=0081182}}
• {{NYTtopic|people/b/joseph_r_jr_biden|Joe Biden}}
• Joe Biden at On the Issues
• Joe Biden at PolitiFact
• {{Twitter|JoeBiden}}

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