Key Takeaways:
– Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan ends 20 years of opposition against the Taliban.
– Biden’s economic decisions led to an unprecedented inflation increase, with rates peaking at 9.1% in July 2022.
– Changes in immigration policies under Biden led to a surge in illegal border crossings, with 3.2 million recorded in FY 2023.
Joe Biden’s presidency has been marked by the distinct challenges that have marked his time in office. Let’s distil down these challenges into three key areas that stand out: his foreign policy, specific economic decisions, and immigration policy reform.
Foreign Policy Missteps
The critique of Biden’s presidency begins with his foreign policy, particularly focusing on Afghanistan. Despite warnings from his advisors, Biden commanded the withdrawal of American troops, leading to devastating effects. The hasty exit resulted in the quick fall of the democratic government to Taliban militias. Subsequent events led to the Taliban securing $83 billion worth of US military equipment. The situation further worsened when a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 US servicemembers. Critics argue that his decision has ultimately left the Taliban stronger than ever before and abandoned those who needed U.S. support the most.
Economic Challenges
Economic issues form the second core blunder of Biden’s presidency. When he assumed office, Congress had already sanctioned several stimulus packages amounting to trillions of dollars due to COVID-19 shutdowns. Unfortunately, these financial aid efforts had the unintended effect of increasing the inflation rate from 1.4% in January 2021 to 5.4% in June 2021. Despite this concerning trend, Biden pushed for additional trillions in spending, exacerbating the situation. By July 2022, inflation under Biden’s watch had peaked at a challenging 9.1%. As a result, consumers now pay more than 20% for the same products and services as before his tenure.
Immigration Reforms
Third on the list is Biden’s approach to immigration. His first move in office was to repeal Trump administration policies. This decision led to a considerable increase in illegal border crossings. The specific policies that were rescinded were instrumental in slowing down the number of illegal border entries. With their removal, migrants from all over the world were encouraged to journey to America’s southern border. Illegal crossings surged to 3.2 million in FY 2023 and 2.9 million in FY 2024. Over Biden’s four years, there were more than eight million such encounters, adding to existing security and social welfare concerns.
In conclusion, Joe Biden’s presidency was marked by these three significant challenges, each having a profound impact on the nation. His decisions on foreign policy, the economy, and immigration have been widely criticised, with many attributing the rise in inflation, increase in illegal immigration, and the Afghanistan crisis to his leadership. These issues are likely to be at the forefront of discussions on Biden’s legacy, shaping the narrative of his contribution to American leadership on the global stage. It remains to be seen how future administrations will address and potentially rectify these issues.