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.
new video loaded: Dick Cheney Is Honored at Washington National Cathedral
transcript
transcript
Dick Cheney Is Honored at Washington National Cathedral
An unusual mix of Democrats and Republicans came together on Thursday to pay tribute to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who led an aggressive response against terrorism after Sept. 11, 2001. Missing from the crowd were President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, whom Mr. Cheney had publicly opposed in his later years.
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“This was a vice president totally devoted to protecting the United States and its interests. There was never any agenda or angle beyond that. You did not know Dick Cheney unless you understood his greatest concerns and ambitions were for his country.” “He knew that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans. For him, a choice between defense of the Constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all.” “In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him.”
By Jamie Leventhal
November 20, 2025
Politics
Missouri attorney general takes new legal aim at mail-order abortion pills over safety concerns
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Thursday she is expanding the state’s fight against mail-order abortion pills, targeting a recently approved generic version of mifepristone that she argues sends women to hospitals with “life-threatening complications” and is being pushed into the marketplace without “basic medical safeguards.”
The filing challenges the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Sept. 30 approval of a generic mifepristone produced by Evita Solutions, arguing that the drug’s risks are “well-documented and worsening with further study.”
The lawsuit alleges manufacturers have relied on “weakened safety standards” that were “originally designed to catch dangerous conditions such as ectopic pregnancies,” which can only be identified through an in-person medical exam.
“Mifepristone is sending women to the hospital with life-threatening complications, and yet drug companies continue pushing new versions of it into the market without basic medical safeguards,” Hanaway said. “Mail-order abortion drugs are dangerous when taken without in-person care, and Missouri will not stand by while manufacturers gamble with women’s lives.”
HAWLEY BLASTS FDA APPROVAL OF NEW ABORTION DRUG, CITES SAFETY AND TRUST CONCERNS
Catherine Hanaway speaks to reporters after Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced her appointment as the state’s next attorney general, Aug. 19, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
The case builds on Missouri’s multi-state challenge to what officials allege is the FDA’s “dismantling of critical safety protections” surrounding mifepristone.
Federal law has long banned the mailing of abortion drugs, yet distributors and telehealth networks have built a nationwide system that delivers the pills to women in every state, often without in-person medical screenings or follow-up care.
Missouri, joined by Kansas and Idaho, is asking the court to block the new approval, restore pre-2016 safety standards that required in-person medical evaluations and stop drugmakers and distributors from mailing abortion pills nationwide in violation of federal law.
FLORIDA CITES MAFIA LAW, HITS PLANNED PARENTHOOD WITH SUIT OVER CLAIM ABORTION PILL ‘SAFER THAN TYLENOL’
Misoprostol, left, and mifepristone abortion medication. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
Hanaway pointed to the drug’s labeling, which notes that roughly 1 in 25 women who take chemical abortion drugs end up in the emergency room and many suffer hemorrhaging, infection or require surgery. She said complications are even more common when the pills come through the mail without medical oversight.
“No caring physician would call mifepristone ‘as safe as Tylenol,’” she said. “That claim was always false. Women are ending up in emergency rooms, and manufacturers know it. If the FDA is reevaluating the brand-name drug’s safety, then it needs to stop rubber-stamping new mail-order generic versions before more women are hurt.”
Hanaway’s filing comes as Republican lawmakers in Washington continue pressing the FDA to tighten oversight of abortion pills and restore safety guardrails rolled back in recent years.
ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR CALIFORNIA DOCTOR IN LOUISIANA ABORTION PILL CASE
Mifepristone tablets at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
During a recent press call, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., urged the FDA to “follow the science to put back safety guardrails” and questioned the agency’s partnerships with abortion-pill manufacturers, including Evita Solutions, the company behind the generic drug targeted in Hanaway’s lawsuit.
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Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said he and other Republican senators have demanded answers from the FDA about its decision to approve the new drug but have yet to receive a response.
Evita Solutions did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
Politics
In-state college tuition for California’s undocumented students is illegal, Trump suit alleges
The Trump administration filed a federal suit Thursday against California and its public university systems, alleging its practice of offering in-state college tuition rates to undocumented immigrants who graduate from California high schools is illegal.
The suit, which named Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, the UC Board of Regents, the Cal State University Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors for the California Community Colleges, also seeks to end some provisions in the California Dream Act, which in part allows students who lack documentation to apply for state-funded financial aid.
“California is illegally discriminating against American students and families by offering exclusive tuition benefits for non-citizens,” U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said in a statement. “This marks our third lawsuit against California in one week — we will continue bringing litigation against California until the state ceases its flagrant disregard for federal law.”
Higher education and state officials were not immediately available to comment.
The tuition suit targets Assembly Bill 540, which passed with bipartisan support in 2001 and offers in-state tuition rates to undocumented students who completed high school in California. The law also offers in-state tuition to U.S. citizens who graduated from California schools but moved out of the state before enrolling in college.
Between 2,000 and 4,000 students attending the University of California — with its total enrollment of nearly 296,000 — are estimated to be undocumented. Across California State University campuses, there are about 9,500 immigrants without documentation enrolled out of 461,000 students. The state’s biggest undocumented group, estimated to be 70,000, are community college students.
The Trump administration’s challenge to California’s tuition statute focuses on a 1996 federal law that says people in the U.S. without legal permission should “not be eligible on the basis of residence within a state … for any post-secondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit … without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”
Scholars have debated whether that law affects California’s tuition practices since AB 540 applies to citizens and noncitizens alike.
Thursday’s complaint was filed in Eastern District of California, and it follows similar actions the Trump administration has taken against Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Oklahoma and Minnesota.
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