As Donald Trump gets ready to reclaim the Oval Office, President Joe Biden has been actively working to push parts of his agenda forward in these final moments of his presidency. It’s unfortunate he didn’t maintain this level of activism throughout his time in office.

In just the last five days, Biden has made significant strides to establish his legacy. He intervened to prevent the merger of U.S. Steel with Japan’s Nippon Steel and prohibited offshore oil and gas drilling on over 625 million acres of federal land. He is also about to establish two new national monuments in California, preserving a total of 848,000 acres.

Furthermore, he endorsed the Social Security Fairness Act, which will benefit nearly 3 million individuals, and recently ruled that medical debt cannot influence credit scores.

Looking back just a few weeks, his achievements also included additional relief for student loan debt, commuting the sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates, and passing the nation’s first law against hazing.

This energetic push is how Biden should have approached the past four years. He has shown a commitment to implementing innovative policies addressing climate change while yielding tangible benefits for Americans. His legacy might have been truly remarkable had he maintained this momentum throughout his presidency and into the reelection bid.

However, Biden may instead be remembered merely as a brief pause in Trump’s political journey. Even if aiming to assist Americans more than Trump could, the perception might not shift.

Biden Prevented a Recession and Prioritized Investment in America. Will He Be Recognized for It?

Despite this, Biden’s presidency has not been devoid of significant achievements. Washington Post columnist Matt Bai noted that Biden experienced “the most successful two-year legislative period of any president in recent memory.”

Nonetheless, this doesn’t alter how he is viewed by the public.

In his initial year, the nation faced a potential recession due to COVID-19, yet Biden took measures to avert economic downturn. He managed to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill with bipartisan support, along with the CHIPS and Science Act, which allocated over $50 billion toward the U.S. semiconductor sector.

In 2022, Biden approved the Inflation Reduction Act, recognized as the largest U.S. initiative aimed at combating climate change, and he also passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, marking the most significant gun safety legislation in three decades.

Overall, Biden’s economic track record has surpassed what Trump’s messaging suggests. His administration added 16 million jobs, and unemployment rates remained at or below 4% for an unprecedented duration. By the end of his presidency, inflation had decreased to 2.4%.

During an exclusive talk with YSL News, Biden noted that Trump even offered private compliments regarding some of his economic successes.

Biden has also appointed 235 federal judges, setting a record for the most in a single term, with approximately 60% being individuals of color.

Many of these victories are pivotal, but they may not remain long-lasting. With Trump’s return to the presidency looming, several of Biden’s significant wins could dwindle. Some of his most beneficial policies are already lost or set to expire soon, impacting how his presidency is viewed in the long run.

Biden’s Legacy Will Be a Blend of Legislative Successes and Communication Failures

Even with these achievements, Biden is likely to be seen as the president who couldn’t recognize when to step aside. He hesitated to exit the 2024 presidential race until midway through summer after a challenging debate against Trump, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris with just over 100 days to mount a campaign against Trump.

In his interview with YSL News, he expressed a belief that he could have defeated Trump. It’s hard to believe that’s the case.

Ultimately, Biden might be remembered more as the older leader who relinquished control to Trump rather than the transitional president he envisioned being. Future historical perspectives might reveal that he indeed was just that. The economic stability he fostered seems to have gone unnoticed after Democrats struggled with their messaging.

The unforgiving nature of the American voting public suggests they have already decided against Biden: over half of Americans surveyed by Gallup believe he will be remembered negatively. Meanwhile, Trump’s popularity has surged since leaving office in 2021, with 40% of poll respondents labeling his first term as “outstanding.” or “above average.”

Sadly, a man’s extensive political career spanning decades can often be boiled down to just a few sound bites, most of which will likely be forgotten if Trump returns to office.

This is also true for Biden. Had he been more engaged during the last two years of his presidency like he has been since his term ended, the situation might have looked different.