As Joe Biden Rides Into The Sunset, How Will Americans Regard His Legacy?

Photo: AFP

Four years in office are now down to four days to reminisce. Joe Biden gave his farewell address Wednesday night, and judging by the cynical responses, it appears much of the nation thought he had left already. With a plethora of issues- the border, inflation, the pardon for son Hunter- and an approval rating in the 30s, Biden tried his best to cherry-pick the high points of his administration and pat himself on the back. WOR White House correspondent Jon Decker, who has covered farewell addresses since Bill Clinton stepped off the world stage in 1993, appeared on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program to discuss the waning moments of the Biden Administration.

“I didn’t think it was a strong farewell address,” Decker told host Larry Mendte. “I wouldn’t put this in the top tier of farewell addresses. It was scattered, you know. No, it wasn’t focused, I think, is the best way to talk about it. There was a mix of everything in there: lauding his administration for accomplishments, talking about how much America means to him and to his family and to the rest of the world, and also that warning that he had in terms of an oligarchy developing here in this country. So, a little bit of everything in there, a lack of focus, and I think that’s my read on what I saw take place last night.”

At the end of the day, Decker points out that presidents don’t get to write their legacy; time does that for them. “Legacies get developed over time, and it’s unfair to any President to talk about a legacy in the immediate aftermath of their Presidency. Think about what people were saying about Donald Trump’s legacy as he concluded his first term in office, and they’re not saying the same things now, just four years later. I’m not saying it’s that kind of stark contrast that will develop with Joe Biden; I’m simply saying that these things take time… [plus] you can do good works after you leave the Presidency; Jimmy Carter’s a perfect example of that.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content