Politics
The One Thing Americans Remember About Biden
We surveyed more than 2,000 Americans this month and asked for their most prominent memory of Mr. Biden’s time in office. Here’s what they said, in their own words.
“Economy wrecker”
Trump voter in 2024
“The economy improved”
Harris voter
“Giving money to Israel and Ukraine”
Harris voter “Allowing migrants illegally”
Did not vote
“Very high border crossings”
Trump voter
“His declining cognitive abilities”
Harris voter
“Trying to help the common people”
Harris voter
“He was a total disaster”
Trump voter “A return to normal presidential responsibility and decency”
Harris voter
What one thing do you remember most about Joe Biden’s presidency?
President Joe Biden will leave office on Monday with a dismal approval rating and a complicated legacy.
Unsurprisingly, Americans’ positive and negative memories of Mr. Biden in a poll conducted by The New York Times and Ipsos this month largely split along partisan lines. Respondents who voted for Donald J. Trump were unsparing in their criticism of Mr. Biden, while those who voted for Kamala Harris had mostly positive views, though some also disapproved.
What they said about Mr. Biden in these open-ended responses offers an early look at his legacy in the public’s mind.
Republicans, in particular, pointed to Mr. Biden’s mental state and age as the top thing they remember. Many Democrats relayed memories of Mr. Biden’s kindness and empathy, while others cited the economy, at times in a positive light and other times negatively. A quarter of respondents could not think of a memory at all or declined to share one.
Based on a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Top 10 categories shown, excluding “don’t know” or blank responses.
Thinking back on Joe Biden’s presidency, what one thing do you remember most about his time in office?
In a separate question, nearly half of Americans said that Mr. Biden left the country worse off than when he took office, just one quarter felt he left it better off, and another 25 percent said things were the same as before he became president.
There was a partisan split on this question, too, but Black and Hispanic Americans were more likely to say Mr. Biden made things worse than better, and Americans 18 to 29 were twice as likely to say Mr. Biden left the country worse off than better off.
Memories of presidents are often not static, and can grow rosier over time, a phenomenon that played out after Mr. Trump’s first term. Here’s a closer look at Americans’ current views of Mr. Biden’s time in office.
“He usually didn’t have a clue what was going on around him”
Trump voter in 2024
“His declining health and confusion”
Trump voter “His dementia”
Trump voter
“He’s old”
Harris voter
“His performance in the debate was shocking”
Harris voter
“I think Joe Biden has a good heart, but he’s too old to be effective”
Harris voter
“He’s just not all there”
Did not vote Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was Biden’s age
Many Americans remember Mr. Biden more for his personal characteristics than his policies. Fourteen percent cited his age or perceived mental decline as their most prominent memory, a greater share than any specific policy. Another 4 percent mentioned memories related to his empathy and kindness.
Concern about Mr. Biden’s cognition primarily came from Republicans, though some Democrats and independents also shared misgivings. Many specifically cited his debate performance, which proved to be a turning point in his aborted campaign, as their key memory of his time in office.
“Gas prices skyrocketing”
Did not vote in 2024
“Out of control spending, reduced energy creation and inflation”
Trump voter “He worked hard for the middle class and added protections and laws to help most Americans”
Harris voter
“High gas prices”
Trump voter
“I honestly don’t know much of what Joe Biden did, but I know the economy has suffered”
Harris voter
“Inflation, inflation, inflation”
Trump voter
“Better economy”
Harris voter “Prices have gone way up”
Harris voter
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was the economy
During the campaign, voters consistently cited the economy as their most important issue. As Americans look back on Mr. Biden’s time in office, many mentioned economic conditions as their principal recollection.
Republicans pointed to rising prices as the main impact of his presidency, while Democrats were largely more positive, citing the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, many Democrats and independents had concerns about the cost of living.
“Open border”
Trump voter in 2024 “The huge numbers of illegal immigrants that have entered the country”
Trump voter
“Unsafe borders, terrible economic policies, weak leadership”
Harris voter
“So many immigrants living on welfare”
Trump voter
“Immigration ran amok for several years and now it is too late to try and curtail the problem”
Harris voter
“His indifference to open borders”
Harris voter “Skyrocketing illegal immigration”
Did not vote
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted from Jan. 2-10.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was immigration
Mr. Trump made Mr. Biden’s immigration policy a core issue in his campaign to return to the White House. Border crossings rose during Mr. Biden’s presidency, creating the largest immigration surge in U.S. history (though crossings plummeted late in his term after he tightened enforcement).
Among Republicans, Mr. Biden’s immigration policies were among the most mentioned memories. These recollections were often expressed with evident frustration, and were frequently intertwined with economic concerns.
“Getting out of Afghanistan. It was horrible”
Trump voter in 2024 “His epic debate failure and his retreat from Afghanistan, sacrificing troops’ lives doing it”
Harris voter
“Continuing to send weapons overseas during the Israel and Palestine conflict and not allowing Ukraine to use them against Russia”
Harris voter
“His inability to tell Israel that genocide is wrong, no matter the provocation”
Did not vote
“More interested in foreign aid than the American people”
Trump voter
“Helping a lot outside the country”
Harris voter “War”
Harris voter
“Supporting war with billions”
Harris voter
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was foreign policy
Americans who mentioned foreign policy mostly looked back on the Biden years as a time of war. Democrats and Republicans alike expressed concern about spending on foreign conflicts that they believed starved domestic spending. Overall, 60 percent of Americans in the survey said the United States was too focused on helping other countries and needed to focus more on problems at home.
Many cited the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as their main memory of Mr. Biden’s time in office. Democrats were especially likely to cite concerns about the deaths of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was pandemic recovery or legislative accomplishments
-
“Coming out of Covid, avoiding recession, dealing with global supply issues”
Harris voter in 2024
-
“He got us through the pandemic, he probably saved many people from dying of Covid”
Harris voter
-
“Covid stimulus and rebuilding the economy after Covid”
Harris voter
-
“He fixed us from Covid mess”
Did not vote
-
“Build back better”
Harris voter
-
“Getting the bipartisan jobs act passed”
Harris voter
-
“Infrastructure”
Harris voter
-
“Forgiving student debt, Covid lockdowns”
Trump voter
-
“His attempt to unburden some of us with student loans”
Harris voter
-
“He forgave my loan”
Trump voter
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Few Americans mentioned memories of the pandemic, but those who did remembered Mr. Biden’s work to help pull the country out of it. Many cited his work on the economic recovery after the pandemic and his efforts to avoid a recession.
Some, particularly Democrats, also cited key pieces of post-pandemic legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure spending.
And for a handful, Mr. Biden’s student loan forgiveness was their key memory, including some who had firsthand experience.
“Corrupt”
Trump voter in 2024 “Corruption to enrich him and his family”
Trump voter
“Endless scandals and fraud”
Trump voter
“He is a criminal”
Trump voter
“Pardoned his son, bad policies”
Did not vote
“Pardoning his son”
Did not vote “The lies and corruption”
Did not vote
Selected responses from a poll by The New York Times and Ipsos of 2,128 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 2-10.
Comments from Americans who said what they remembered most was corruption
A small but significant share of Republicans mentioned corruption, with many citing Mr. Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, as evidence.
Taken all together, these responses offer a snapshot in time as Mr. Biden leaves office. History shows that many former presidents later get a reputational boost. This was the case for George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. Time will tell if Mr. Biden will follow a similar path.
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By McKinnon de Kuyper
February 12, 2026
Politics
Tim Walz demands federal government ‘pay for what they broke’ after Homan announces Minnesota drawdown
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Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is demanding that the federal government “pay for what they broke” after the Trump administration announced it would draw down its immigration enforcement presence in the Twin Cities.
During a press conference following Border Czar Tom Homan’s announcement that the administration would be ending its “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota, Walz said that federal law enforcement’s presence in the state was leaving “deep damage” and “generational trauma.”
“The federal government needs to pay for what they broke here,” said Walz. “There [is] going to be accountability on the things that happened, but one of the things is, the incredible and immense costs that were borne by the people of this state. The federal government needs to be responsible: You don’t get to break things, and then just leave without doing something about it.”
“So, we’re going to be asking the federal delegation to be investing and doing the things necessary,” he added.
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Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to reporters after he announced that he would not seek reelection, at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. January 5, 2026. (Reuters/Tim Evans)
Walz, who is best known for being former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election, has been at odds with the administration throughout much of the operation, which was meant to crack down on rampant fraud and abuse in the state.
Regarding the federal drawdown, Walz said, “We are cautiously optimistic … that this surge of untrained, aggressive federal agents are going to leave Minnesota, and I guess they’ll go wherever they’re going to go.”
“The fact of the matter is, they left us with deep damage, generational trauma, they left us with economic ruin in some cases, they left us with many unanswered questions: Where are our children? Where and what is the process of the investigations into those that were responsible for the deaths of Renee and Alex?” he continued.
“So, while the federal government may move on to whatever next thing that they want to do, the State of Minnesota and our administration is unwaveringly focused on the recovery of what they did.”
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Anti-ICE protesters gathered in Minnesota on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Homan announced Thursday that the administration will conclude Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with “unprecedented levels of coordination” from state officials and local law enforcement.
“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said, adding, “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude.”
Homan said “a significant drawdown” of immigration agents was already underway and will continue through next week.
The border czar announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota, though 2,000 officers will remain. He cited improved cooperation with jails and said a complete drawdown was the goal, but it was “contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE.”
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White House ‘border czar’ Tom Homan speaks during a press conference at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 4, 2026. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
He said only a “small footprint of personnel” will remain for a period of time, while he will also remain on the ground to oversee the operation’s drawdown and success.
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“Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Conversations about Culver City — the vibrant enclave on Los Angeles’ Westside often called “the Heart of Screenland” — usually include phrases such as “walkable” and “green spaces” and “Erewhon.”
So when U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi insinuated the city of 39,000 residents is a crime haven during a heated exchange with Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) Wednesday, local officials and personalities responded with statistics, memes and wry mockery.
Bondi slipped in the jab near the end of an arduous House hearing largely focused on the Department of Justice’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Kamlager-Dove, whose district includes Culver City, hammered Bondi over deleted Department of Justice data linking far-right ideology with political killings, asserting that “there are violent, dangerous people out there with real threats.”
“There are — in your district,” Bondi responded. “Her district includes Culver City, and she’s not talking about any crime in her district. Nothing about helping crime in her district. She’s not even worth getting into the details.”
Hometown names stepped up to defend the burg by posting photos of clean streets, manicured parks and humming community events.
Political commentator and Angeleno Brian Taylor Cohen called the city “one of the most non-controversially safe” places in L.A., while Culver City-based comedian Heather Gardner said: “The worst crime of the century is that this woman had made a mockery of our justice system. Release the un-redacted files. Prosecute the REAL crimes.”
Kamlager-Dove shrugged off Bondi’s comment, saying Culver City was known for “breakfast burritos — not crime.”
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for Bondi to clarify her statements.
Crime in Culver City declined 9.7% in 2024 and was down an additional 6.1% in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period of 2024, according to the Culver City Police Department. Violent crime declined 3.9% in 2024 — the last full year of available data.
Over that period, murders dropped to zero while aggravated assault, kidnapping and robbery also fell. There were 26 cases of sexual assault in the city in 2024, compared with 25 in 2023. The only violent crime that saw a significant increase were simple assaults, which rose 8.1%.
The California Department of Justice and the FBI reported in 2024 that crime in the state had fallen to “among the lowest levels ever recorded.”
Mayor Freddy Puza, in an interview Thursday, described Culver City as a “strong and vibrant community” of people with no shortage of job opportunities at small businesses and corporations alike, including TikTok, Pinterest and entertainment giants Apple, Amazon and Sony.
He said the local government has been able to lower crime rates through community-based policing and by providing housing and social services to its unsheltered population. The mayor characterized Bondi’s retort as a “knee-jerk reaction” from an attorney general faced with damaging public trust concerns at her department.
“My read of it is that she’s trying to deflect,” he said. “I think she could really spend her time prosecuting the people in the Epstein files and making sure that information from the federal government is transparent.”
The city had seen no ideological violence, he said, adding, “but the potential for it is right around the corner. There’s no doubt that it is on the rise and the president is stoking it. People are becoming further and further polarized.”
At the hearing, Bondi faced sharp criticism over the Justice Department’s Epstein investigation — specifically over redaction errors in the release millions of case files last month. In one instance, the attorney general refused to apologize to Epstein victims in the room, saying she would not “get into the gutter” with partisan requests from Democrats.
Her performance has already prompted a volley of bipartisan demands for her resignation, including from conservative pundits including Megyn Kelly, Nick Fuentes and Kyle Rittenhouse.
Culver City was not Bondi’s only target Wednesday. She called Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) a “washed-up loser lawyer,” accused Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome,” and branded former CNN anchor Don Lemon a “blogger.”
Since the hearing, however, she has stayed silent as locals continue to question her intel and chuckle over images of the pylon-protected war zone of Culver City.
“The worst crime in Culver City,” Gardener joked again on TikTok, “is that they charge $24 for a smoothie at Erewhon.”
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