The Presidents: Biden

On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States of America and, at the age of 78, the oldest president ever to be elected. Taking office in the shadow of Donald Trump, Biden faced a highly divided country and an opposition that viewed him as illegitimate. After four tumultuous years of Trump, voters hoped that his experienced successor would restore peace and provide a sense of calm and steady leadership. Biden promised to be different. Just two weeks after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, he stood on the building's steps for his inauguration and preached about the need for unity and healing. Joe Biden launched his campaign back in 2020 by claiming his mission was to "restore the soul of America", and keeping the nation afloat, mainly undoing his predecessor's work. With that higher mission in mind, the president is both succeeding and struggling to address these simultaneous crises: preserving a fragile democracy and restoring national unity.