President Biden's first term will be marked by several high-profile moments for the White House.
It started with a pandemic and a raucous State of the Union address. Then there was his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and his handling of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In the end, he withdrew from the 2024 election due to questions about his age and physical strength, ending a decades-long political career.
Here are the most dramatic moments of Biden's presidency.
The Boisterous 2023 State of the Union Address
During the 2023 State of the Union address, Biden debated possible cuts to Social Security with Republican lawmakers, sparking a lively exchange in the House of Representatives.
He claimed that “some Republicans want to abolish Social Security and Medicare,” but Republicans shouted back, “no,” and the president said that people who don't believe him want to eliminate Social Security and Medicare. I added an ad-lib that I would contact the agency.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stood up, pointed at Biden and yelled, “Liar.” “I don't think it's a majority of you, and I don't think it's important,” Biden responded before there was further jeers from Republicans.
“So, folks, apparently we all agree, Social Security and Medicare are now off the books, right?” Biden said.
“I get it,” he added, giving a thumbs up as Democrats and some Republicans stood and cheered.
Biden spent much of his speech urging unity for the start of the second half of his presidential term after the 2022 midterm elections, but his interactions with Republicans in the chamber were a key point of the speech.
At the time, he provided Biden and the White House with an example of presidential stamina that Democrats used as an example to argue that Biden was qualified to run for reelection.
ukrainian speech
In March 2022, Biden gave an impassioned speech in Poland about his support for Ukraine, a month after the Russian invasion, in which he said Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power. .
“Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, because free people refuse to live in a world of despair and darkness. Democracy and principles, hope and light, civility and dignity, freedom and possibility.” We have a different future, a brighter future, with roots in our country,” Biden said in a speech outside Poland's presidential palace. “For God's sake, this man cannot continue to remain in power.”
The crowd he spoke to was made up of Polish nationals, Ukrainian refugees, and government officials from both countries. But his harsh comments led to a purge operation by the White House, with officials at the time trying to argue that Biden's comments meant Putin should not assume power outside Russia.
A year later, the president made a surprise visit to Kiev to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, taking a 10-hour train ride from Poland to Kiev on a secret trip to the war-torn country. He is the only commander to visit a combat zone not under U.S. military control.
Afghanistan withdrawal
The withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 is seen as a major stain on Biden's legacy in the early days of his presidency, and the beginning of a long and windy downfall for his presidency.
Americans in the country realized just how chaotic the troop withdrawal was when hectic footage from Kabul airport was released. Later, a suicide bombing at Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. military personnel who were helping people evacuate the country.
Biden said the family of one of the 13 soldiers killed in Kabul told him to “burn in hell” when the soldiers' bodies arrived at Dover Air Force Base.
According to a recent book, Biden was personally involved in resolving issues at Kabul airport during the withdrawal, directing those on the ground to find a way to get endangered Afghans out of the country. Due to the nature of the withdrawal and several deaths, House Republicans withdrew the long-awaited report in September. They portrayed Mr. Biden as determined to leave the country, but his preparations were fumbling, and criticized him for ignoring the advice of allies and advisers and leading to unnecessary deaths.
haar report
A transcript of a two-day interview with Biden for Special Counsel Robert Hur's investigation into the president's handling of classified materials, released in March 2024, gave Republicans and critics new concerns about his age. It also gave the people a window into the president's suitability. For office use.
The Hur report, released during the president's re-election campaign, stoked concerns about Biden's age, as he has not given many press conferences in print or on television.
In his report, Mr. Xu described the president as a “well-intentioned older man with a poor memory” and recommended that Mr. Biden not be prosecuted over his handling of classified documents. One of the most notable exchanges revealed in Mr. That was when I wrote that The White House and Biden himself launched attacks.
pathetic discussion
Biden and Trump held the first and only 2024 presidential debate on June 27, moderated by CNN. It quickly began with Biden fumbling for an answer and giving a puzzled look.
Biden's disastrous performance, which lasted 90 minutes, set off a chain of events that ultimately led to him withdrawing his bid for re-election.
Biden's voice was hoarse, he struggled to finish sentences and stumbled over his words as he discussed important topics such as border security and the economy.
Trump appeared to lose his train of thought while confusing the terms Medicare and coronavirus, and Trump accused him of making derogatory comments. At the time, Biden's team said he had a cold to explain his slow start and hoarse voice.
Democratic operatives were the first to call for his departure, followed on July 2 by first-time Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).
After that, pressure mounted from party leaders, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), and former President Barack Obama, forcing lawmakers to publicly announce the president's resignation. They were also behind the push to urge Biden to vote and warned that Biden could lose to Trump. At the time of the debate, Biden was trailing Trump in polls, especially in battleground states.
withdraw reelection bid
Once the floodgates opened as Democrats called for his resignation, Biden was unable to stop the bleeding. In early July, he and his team met with Democratic legislative leaders and Democratic governors, and he gave an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos to demonstrate his ability to participate in unscripted events.
He campaigned in Wisconsin, where he fired back at his critics and gave a challenging interview on Morning Joe, urging him to challenge other Democrats at the convention in August.
At the time, the White House was also facing a series of questions over visitor records that showed a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson's disease had visited the campus several times in recent months. Then, calls from lawmakers for Biden to resign were suspended following an assassination attempt on President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.
The president gave a separate interview with NBC's Lester Holt to defend the aftermath of the debate. A few days later, he tested positive for the coronavirus while campaigning in Las Vegas.
While quarantining at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Biden and a small group of aides finally made the decision to do so amid a growing list of incumbent Democrats urging him to leave.
On July 21, he announced in a letter shared with X that he would not seek another four years in office, and later endorsed Vice President Harris as his party's nominee. Harris was decisively defeated in November, with just over 100 days left in her race against Trump.
