Challenges Faced by Joe Biden: Obstacles and Turning Points

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Joe Biden's life and career.

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who served as the 46th U.S. president (2021-2025). A Democrat, he previously held the position of the 47th vice president (2009-2017). Prior to his executive roles, Biden represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009, marking a lengthy career in American politics.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1968: Earned Juris Doctor

In 1968, Biden earned a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, despite failing a course due to plagiarism during his first year.

December 18, 1972: Wife and Daughter Killed in Car Accident

On December 18, 1972, Biden's wife Neilia and one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in an automobile accident. His sons Beau and Hunter were injured.

1972: Death of First Wife and Daughter

In 1972, Joe Biden's first wife and daughter died in a car accident shortly after his election to the Senate.

1984: Objected to Strategic Defense Initiative

In a congressional hearing in 1984, Joe Biden objected to the Strategic Defense Initiative plan.

September 23, 1987: Withdrew from Presidential Candidacy

On September 23, 1987, Biden withdrew his candidacy for the 1988 presidential election following plagiarism accusations and false claims about his academic record.

February 1988: Surgery and Pulmonary Embolism

In February 1988, Biden underwent surgery to correct a leaking intracranial berry aneurysm. While recuperating, he suffered a pulmonary embolism, leading to a seven-month absence from the Senate.

1988: Unsuccessful Presidential Nomination

In 1988, Joe Biden ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination.

1988: Presided over Robert Bork Confirmation Hearing

In 1988, as chair, Biden presided over the contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Robert Bork, ultimately objecting to Bork's nomination due to conflicts with constitutional rights. Bork's nomination was rejected in the committee by a 5–9 vote and then in the full Senate, 42–58.

1991: Clarence Thomas Nomination Hearings

During Clarence Thomas's nomination hearings in 1991, Biden's questioning style was criticized, and he faced scrutiny for his handling of Anita Hill's accusations against Thomas. Liberal legal advocates and women's groups felt strongly that Biden had mishandled the hearings and not done enough to support Hill. The full Senate confirmed Thomas by a 52–48 vote, with Biden opposed.

1991: Opposed the Gulf War

In 1991, Biden opposed the Gulf War.

1991: Opposed Gulf War Authorization and interested in Yugoslav Wars

In 1991, Biden voted against authorization for the Gulf War and became interested in the Yugoslav Wars after hearing about Serbian abuses during the Croatian War of Independence.

April 1993: Tense Meeting with Slobodan Milošević

In April 1993, Biden had a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević regarding the Bosnian War.

1993: Alleged Sexual Assault by Tara Reade

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. There were inconsistencies between Reade's 2019 and 2020 allegations. Biden and his campaign denied the sexual assault allegation.

2000: Clinton Vetoes Bankruptcy Legislation

In 2000, Bill Clinton vetoed bankruptcy legislation that was sponsored by Biden and sought by credit card issuers.

2002: Voted for Iraq War Resolution

In 2002, Biden voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution.

2005: Called Iraq War Vote a Mistake

By 2005, Biden called his 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq War a "mistake", though he did not push for withdrawal and supported the appropriations for the occupation.

2005: Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act Passes

In 2005, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act passed, with Biden being one of only 18 Democrats to vote for it, despite opposition from leading Democrats and consumer rights organizations. Bill Clinton had vetoed the bill in 2000.

January 3, 2008: Placed Fifth in Iowa Caucuses and Withdrew from Race

On January 3, 2008, Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses, garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates, and withdrew from the race that evening.

September 2008: Voted for Emergency Economic Stabilization Act

As the 2008 financial crisis reached a peak in September 2008, Biden voted for the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which passed in the Senate.

April 2009: Biden's Swine Flu Outbreak Response

In April 2009, Biden's off-message response to a question during the beginning of the swine flu outbreak led to a swift retraction by the White House and revived Biden's reputation for gaffes.

July 2009: Biden Acknowledges Economic Misjudgment

In July 2009, confronted with rising unemployment, Biden acknowledged that the administration had "misread how bad the economy was", but expressed confidence that the stimulus package would create jobs once expenditures increased.

May 2011: Biden's Alleged Opposition to Osama bin Laden Mission

Some reports suggest that in May 2011, Biden opposed proceeding with the U.S. mission to kill Osama bin Laden, fearing failure could adversely affect Obama's reelection prospects.

2011: Polling Conducted on Replacing Biden

In late 2011, White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley conducted some secret polling and focus group research on the idea of replacing Biden with Hillary Clinton for the 2012 election. The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement.

October 2013: Biden Cut Out of Government Shutdown Discussions

In October 2013, Biden played little part in discussions that led to the passage of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, resolving the federal government shutdown of 2013 and the debt-ceiling crisis of 2013. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders cut him out of direct talks with Congress.

2015: Death of Son Beau

In 2015, Joe Biden's son, Beau, died from brain cancer.

March 2019: Women Accuse Biden of Inappropriate Physical Contact

In March 2019, eight women accused Biden of inappropriate physical contact, such as embracing, touching, or kissing.

April 2019: Biden Pledges to be More Respectful of Personal Space

In April 2019, following accusations of inappropriate physical contact, Biden pledged to be more "respectful of people's personal space".

September 2019: Trump Allegedly Pressures Ukraine to Investigate Biden

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, leading to a political scandal and Trump's impeachment.

2019: Accusations of Inappropriate Contact by Tara Reade

March 2020: Tara Reade Accuses Biden of Sexual Assault

In late March 2020, Tara Reade accused Biden of having sexually assaulted her in 1993. Biden and his campaign denied the sexual assault allegation.

2021: Start of Inflation Surge

The 2021-2023 inflation surge began in 2021, overshadowing Joe Biden's presidency.

February 2022: Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, leading to severe sanctions on Russia by the Biden administration and the authorization of over $8 billion in weapons shipments to Ukraine. Biden later asked Congress for $33 billion for Ukraine, which was increased to about $40 billion, and he blamed Putin for the emerging energy and food crises.

June 2022: Inflation peaked at 9.1%

In June 2022, inflation peaked at 9.1% during Joe Biden's presidency.

July 21, 2022: Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19

On July 21, 2022, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 with reportedly mild symptoms and was treated with Paxlovid. He worked in isolation in the White House.

July 30, 2022: Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19 Again

On July 30, 2022, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again and returned to isolation.

September 2022: Biden on Defending Taiwan

In a September 2022 interview with 60 Minutes, Biden stated that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of "an unprecedented attack" by China, which contrasted with the U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity."

November 2022: Discovery of Classified Documents at Penn Biden Center

In November 2022, Biden's attorneys found classified documents dating from his vice presidency in a "locked closet" at the Penn Biden Center, which were then reported to the U.S. National Archives.

December 2022: No TikTok on Government Devices Act

In December 2022, Biden signed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, prohibiting the use of TikTok on devices owned by the federal government.

January 11, 2023: House Investigative Committee into Hunter and James 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, with Representative James Comer also investigating alleged corruption related to the Hunter Biden laptop controversy.

February 4, 2023: Shooting Down of Chinese Surveillance Balloon

On February 4, 2023, Biden ordered the United States Air Force to shoot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina, leading to further damage in U.S.-China relations and the postponement of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China.

October 2023: Record Low Approval Rating Among Democrats

By October 2023, Gallup indicated that Joe Biden's approval rating among Democrats had reached a record low of 75%.

October 2023: Hamas Attack on Israel and U.S. Response

In October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, leading to an intensified conflict. Biden stated his unequivocal support for Israel, condemned the attack, deployed aircraft carriers, and called for an additional $14 billion in military aid to Israel. He also began pressuring Israel to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supported "humanitarian pauses" to deliver aid.

December 13, 2023: House Vote to Formalize Impeachment Inquiry

On December 13, 2023, the House of Representatives voted 221–212 to formalize an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

December 2023: Lack of Evidence of Wrongdoing by Biden

As of December 2023, congressional investigations, including by the House Oversight committee, had discovered no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden.

2023: End of Inflation Surge

The 2021-2023 inflation surge ended in 2023. Joe Biden's presidency was overshadowed by this inflation surge.

February 2024: Charges Against Alexander Smirnov for False Statements

In February 2024, Alexander Smirnov, a former intelligence informant prominent in the bribery allegations against Biden, was charged with making false statements. Smirnov admitted to publicizing a false story from Russian intelligence officials aimed at damaging Biden's reelection campaign.

February 29, 2024: Killing of Palestinian Civilians Receiving Food Aid

Following the killing of Palestinian civilians receiving food aid on February 29, 2024, Biden said the current level of aid flowing into Gaza was insufficient.

March 2024: Public Disapproval of Israeli Conduct

In March 2024, a Gallup poll indicated that a strong majority of Americans disapproved of Israeli conduct during the war, reflecting significant domestic opposition to American involvement.

April 2024: Gaza War Protests on University Campuses

Beginning in April 2024, widespread Gaza war protests emerged on university campuses, denouncing Biden and his administration's policies.

April 2024: Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act

In April 2024, Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which would ban social networking services determined to be a "foreign adversary controlled application," explicitly applying to ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

May 2024: Limited Use of Weapons Against Russian Targets

In May 2024, Biden granted an exception to the policy of not allowing Ukraine to use U.S. weapons against Russian military targets, permitting their use for targets in the vicinity of Kharkiv for "counter-fire" purposes.

May 2024: Increased Tariffs on Chinese Imports

In May 2024, the Biden administration doubled tariffs on solar cells imported from China and more than tripled tariffs on lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries imported from China. It also raised tariffs on imports of Chinese steel, aluminum, and medical materials.

May 31, 2024: Biden's Support for Israeli Ceasefire Proposal

On May 31, 2024, Biden announced his support for an Israeli ceasefire proposal, citing that Hamas was "no longer capable" of another large-scale attack. The proposal aimed to establish a permanent ceasefire, release all hostages, and reconstruct the Gaza Strip, with Hamas officials supporting it after mediation.

June 2024: Public Concern About Biden's Mental Acuity

After a weak performance in a June 2024 presidential debate, the media widely covered public concern about Biden's mental acuity. Biden repeatedly said he was fit to serve two terms as president, but later acknowledged that he may have been too old to serve a second term.

July 2024: Approval Rating Falls to All-Time Low

In July 2024, Gallup found that Joe Biden's approval rating had fallen to an all-time low of 36%, just before he withdrew from the 2024 presidential election.

July 17, 2024: Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19 Again

On July 17, 2024, Biden again tested positive for COVID-19.

August 2024: U.S. Aid to Afghanistan

In August 2024, the U.S. remained the biggest aid donor to Afghanistan, having spent at least $20.7 billion post-withdrawal to support the Taliban government and stabilize Afghanistan's economy.

September 25, 2024: House Resolution Condemning Biden Administration

On September 25, 2024, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the Biden administration for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, with ten Democrats and all Republicans voting in favor.

December 2024: Gallup Poll on Biden's Presidency

A December 2024 Gallup poll found that 54% of Americans thought Joe Biden's presidency was below average or poor, 26% average, and 19% above average or outstanding. The poll also indicated negative assessments of his presidency on economic, national, and international issues.

2024: Withdrew Presidential Candidacy

In 2024, Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy for reelection after renewed scrutiny about his cognitive ability.

2024: Kamala Harris Defeated by Donald Trump

In 2024, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's vice president, was defeated in the presidential election by Donald Trump.

2024: Withdrawal from Presidential Election

Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election occurred in 2024, his vice president Kamala Harris lost in 2024 to Trump.

2025: Biden as Oldest Sitting President

As of 2025, Biden was the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, with his cognitive health perceived by some as declining.

2025: Biden Leaves Office

When Joe Biden left office in 2025, his presidency was viewed by journalists and many Democrats as a failure due to age and health concerns, public frustration over inflation, and the defeat of his vice president, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 presidential election by Donald Trump.