Editing Joe Biden (section)

== Public image ==
{{Main|Public image of Joe Biden}}

Biden was consistently ranked one of the least wealthy [[United States Senate|members of the Senate]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Wallsten|first=Peter|date=August 24, 2008|title=Demographics part of calculation: Biden adds experience, yes, but he could also help with Catholics, blue-collar whites and women|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-24-na-assess24-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515025410/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-24-na-assess24-story.html|archive-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Broder|first=John M.|date=September 13, 2008|title=Biden Releases Tax Returns, in Part to Pressure Rivals|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/politics/13biden.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425024153/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/politics/13biden.html|archive-date=April 25, 2011}}</ref> which he attributed to having been elected young.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mooney|first=Alexander|date=September 12, 2008|title=Biden tax returns revealed|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=https://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/12/biden-tax-returns-revealed/|url-status=dead|access-date=September 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913001912/https://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/12/biden-tax-returns-revealed/|archive-date=September 13, 2008}}</ref> Feeling that less-wealthy public officials may be tempted to accept contributions in exchange for political favors, he proposed [[Campaign finance reform in the United States|campaign finance reform]] measures during his first term.<ref name="cby-44" /> During his time in the senate, Biden was viewed as being close to the credit card company [[MBNA]], a major contributor to his campaigns since 1989, sometimes being referred to as "senator from MBNA."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Healy |first=Patrick |last2=Luo |first2=Michael |date=2008-08-23 |title=A Senate Stalwart Who Bounced Back |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/us/politics/24bio.html |access-date=2025-05-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> {{As of|2009|November}}, Biden's net worth was $27,012.<ref>{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Montopoli|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/237-millionaires-in-congress/|title=237 Millionaires in Congress|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=November 6, 2009|access-date=August 25, 2021|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818145713/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/237-millionaires-in-congress/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2020|November|alt=By November 2020}}, the Bidens were worth $9 million, largely due to sales of Biden's books and speaking fees after his vice presidency.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 7, 2020|access-date=August 25, 2021|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-net-worth-lifestyle-real-estate-family-wealth-assets-2020-1|title=President-elect Joe Biden just turned 78. Here's how he went from 'Middle-Class Joe' to millionaire.|first=Taylor|last=Borden|website=[[Business Insider]]|archive-date=March 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319163402/https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-net-worth-lifestyle-real-estate-family-wealth-assets-2020-1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2019/08/28/joe-bidens-net-worth-how-the-2020-presidential-candidate-built-a-9-million-fortune/|title=Here's How Much 2020 Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Is Worth|first=Michela|last=Tindera|date=August 28, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2021|magazine=[[Forbes]]|archive-date=March 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319162048/https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2019/08/28/joe-bidens-net-worth-how-the-2020-presidential-candidate-built-a-9-million-fortune/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Political columnist [[David S. Broder]] wrote that Biden has grown over time: "He responds to real people—that's been consistent throughout. And his ability to understand himself and deal with other politicians has gotten much, much better."<ref name="watn020109" /> Journalist [[James Traub]] has written that "Biden is the kind of fundamentally happy person who can be as generous toward others as he is to himself".<ref name="nytm-traub" /> Particularly since the 2015 death of his elder son Beau, Biden has been noted for his empathetic nature and ability to communicate about grief.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Baldoni|first=John|title=How Empathy Defines Joe Biden|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2020/08/20/how-empathy-defines-joe-biden/|date=August 20, 2020|access-date=March 17, 2021|magazine=[[Forbes]]|archive-date=June 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220618172934/https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2020/08/20/how-empathy-defines-joe-biden/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Nagle|first=Molly|date=December 19, 2020|title=Nearly 50 years after death of wife and daughter, empathy remains at Joe Biden's core|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/50-years-death-wife-daughter-empathy-remains-joe/story?id=74814251|access-date=March 17, 2021|agency=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|archive-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302080416/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/50-years-death-wife-daughter-empathy-remains-joe/story?id=74814251|url-status=live}}</ref>

Journalist and TV anchor [[Wolf Blitzer]] has called Biden loquacious;<ref>{{cite news|date=January 12, 2006|title=Transcripts|work=[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]|publisher=CNN|url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/12/sitroom.01.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719103425/https://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/12/sitroom.01.html|archive-date=July 19, 2008}}</ref> journalist Mark Bowden has said that he is famous for "talking too much", leaning in close "like an old pal with something urgent to tell you".<ref name="The Atlantic" /> He often deviates from prepared remarks,<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Ben|date=December 2, 2008|title=Biden, enemy of the prepared remarks|newspaper=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2008/12/biden-enemy-of-the-prepared-remarks-014500|url-status=live|access-date=December 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911131530/https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2008/12/biden-enemy-of-the-prepared-remarks-014500|archive-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> and sometimes "puts his foot in his mouth".<ref name="nyt-no2" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Tapper|first=Jake|author-link=Jake Tapper|date=January 31, 2007|title=A Biden Problem: Foot in Mouth|agency=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=2838420|url-status=live|access-date=September 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827211803/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=2838420|archive-date=August 27, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Halperin|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Halperin|date=August 23, 2008|title=Halperin on Biden: Pros and Cons|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|url=https://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1835480,00.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722092813/https://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1835480,00.html|archive-date=July 22, 2014}}</ref> Biden has a reputation for being prone to [[political gaffe|gaffes]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/joe-biden-news-joe-biden-gaffe-joe-biden-speech-mistakes-watch-joe-biden-in-latest-gaffe-has-two-words-to-say-made-in-america-101665383434183.html |access-date=August 23, 2023 |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] |first=Mallika |last=Bhagat |title=Watch: Joe Biden's latest gaffe- a rocky start and a counting problem |quote='Let me start off with two words: Made in America' |date=October 10, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Luke |last=O'Neil |date=April 25, 2019 |title='I am a gaffe machine': a history of Joe Biden's biggest blunders |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/25/joe-biden-2020-public-gaffes-mistakes-history |access-date=January 26, 2021 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202133135/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/25/joe-biden-2020-public-gaffes-mistakes-history |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Broder |first=John M. |date=September 11, 2008 |title=Hanging On to Biden's Every Word: Biden living up to his gaffe-prone reputation |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/us/politics/12biden.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |quote=But, boy, does he say some curious things. A day on the campaign trail without a cringe-inducing gaffe is a rare blessing. He has not been too blessed lately.... a human verbal wrecking crew.}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' wrote that Biden's "weak filters make him capable of blurting out pretty much anything".<ref name="nyt-no2" />

According to ''The New York Times'', Biden often embellishes elements of his life or exaggerates, a trait also noted by ''[[The New Yorker]]'' in 2014.<ref name="The New Yorker">{{Cite magazine |last=Osnos |first=Evan |date=July 20, 2014 |title=The Evolution of Joe Biden |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/07/28/biden-agenda |access-date=December 6, 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref><ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |last2=Qiu |first2=Linda |date=October 10, 2022 |title=Biden, Storyteller in Chief, Spins Yarns That Often Unravel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/10/us/politics/biden-exaggeration-falsehood.html |accessdate=October 11, 2022 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> For instance, he has claimed to have been more active in the [[civil rights movement]] than he actually was, and has falsely recalled being an excellent student who earned three college degrees.<ref name="The New Yorker" /> The ''Times'' wrote, "Mr. Biden's folksiness can veer into folklore, with dates that don't quite add up and details that are exaggerated or wrong, the factual edges shaved off to make them more powerful for audiences."<ref name="The New York Times" />

=== Job approval ===
{{See also|2021 opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration|l1=2021|2022 opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration|l2=2022|2023 opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration|l3=2023|2024–2025 opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration}}

According to [[Morning Consult]] polling, Biden maintained an [[Opinion poll|approval rating]] above 50% during his presidency's first eight months. In August 2021, it began to decline, reaching the low forties by December.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=December 21, 2021 |title=Joe Biden's Job Approval Rating Steady in December |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/358343/joe-biden-job-approval-rating-steady-december.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123222342/https://news.gallup.com/poll/358343/joe-biden-job-approval-rating-steady-december.aspx |archive-date=January 23, 2022 |access-date=February 2, 2022 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]}}</ref> This was attributed to the Afghanistan withdrawal, increasing hospitalizations from the [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]], [[2021–2023 inflation surge|high inflation and gas prices]], disarray within the Democratic Party, and a general decline in popularity customary in politics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Frostenson |first1=Sarah |date=October 12, 2021 |title=Why Has Biden's Approval Rating Gotten So Low So Quickly? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-has-bidens-approval-rating-gotten-so-low-so-quickly/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012100615/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-has-bidens-approval-rating-gotten-so-low-so-quickly/ |archive-date=October 12, 2021 |access-date=February 1, 2022 |website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Graham |first1=David A. |date=November 19, 2021 |title=Six Theories of Joe Biden's Crumbling Popularity |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/biden-approval-rating/620751/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112230703/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/biden-approval-rating/620751/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |access-date=June 18, 2022 |magazine=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rupar |first1=Aaron |date=September 20, 2021 |title=Why Biden's approval numbers have sagged, explained by an expert |url=https://www.vox.com/2021/9/20/22678173/biden-polls-approval-rating-morning-consult |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028195231/https://www.vox.com/2021/9/20/22678173/biden-polls-approval-rating-morning-consult |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |access-date=February 1, 2022 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Montanaro |first1=Domenico |date=September 2, 2021 |title=Biden's Approval Rating Hits A New Low After The Afghanistan Withdrawal |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/02/1033433959/biden-approval-rating-afghanistan-withdrawal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027035207/https://www.npr.org/2021/09/02/1033433959/biden-approval-rating-afghanistan-withdrawal |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |access-date=February 1, 2022 |publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> In 2023, Biden's approval rating was the lowest of any modern{{Efn|The source defines "modern" presidents as all 7 presidents before Biden, or presidents since 1979, which comprise Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.|name=}} U.S. president after three years in office.<ref name="gallup2023end">{{Cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/547763/biden-ends-2023-job-approval.aspx|title=Biden Ends 2023 With 39% Job Approval|first=Megan|last=Brenan|date=December 22, 2023|publisher=Gallup, Inc.}}</ref>

[[Gallup, Inc.]] found Biden's approval ratings to be consistently above 50% during his first few months in office,<ref name="Gallup Approval">{{cite web|first=Jeffrey M.|last=Jones|date=February 4, 2021|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/329348/biden-begins-term-job-approval.aspx|title=Biden Begins Term With 57% Job Approval|publisher=
[[Gallup, Inc.]]|accessdate=November 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Saad |first=Lydia |date=April 23, 2021 |title=Biden Job Approval a Respectable 57% at 100 Days |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/348974/biden-job-approval-respectable-100-days.aspx |access-date=October 1, 2021 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]}}</ref> but by August, his ratings began to decline.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Cillizza|authorlink=Chris Cillizza|date=August 18, 2021|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/joe-biden-polls-president-afghanistan/index.html|title=Joe Biden's political honeymoon is officially over|agency=[[CNN]]|accessdate=November 9, 2024}}</ref> He had a 98% approval rating from Democrats in February 2021, but by December only 78% approved of his presidency.<ref name="BidenGallup">{{Cite web |title=Presidential Job Approval Center |url=https://news.gallup.com/interactives/185273/presidential-job-approval-center.aspx |access-date=July 31, 2022 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]}}</ref><ref name="Gallup Approval" /> By October 2023, his rating among Democrats had reached a record low of 75%.<ref name="gallup2023end" /><ref>{{cite web|first=Megan|last=Brenan|date=October 26, 2023|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/513305/democrats-ratings-biden-slip-overall-approval.aspx|title=Democrats' Rating of Biden Slips; Overall Approval at 37%|publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]|accessdate=November 9, 2024}}</ref> His approval rating among Republicans has been consistently in the single digits, aside from his first few months in office.<ref name="BidenGallup" /> Additionally, Gallup noted that Biden's public support eroded each year he was in office: he averaged 49% approval in his first year,<ref>{{cite web|first=Jeffrey M.|last=Jones|date=January 18, 2022|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/389033/biden-year-one-approval-ratings-subpar-extremely-polarized.aspx|title=Biden Year One Approval Ratings Subpar, Extremely Polarized|publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]|accessdate=November 9, 2024}}</ref> 41% in his second,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=January 25, 2023 |title=Biden Averaged 41% Job Approval in His Second Year |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/468806/biden-averaged-job-approval-second-year.aspx |access-date=January 9, 2024 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]}}</ref> 40% in his third,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=January 25, 2024 |title=Biden's Third-Year Job Approval Average of 39.8% Second Worst |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/609188/biden-third-year-job-approval-average-second-worst.aspx |access-date=January 28, 2024 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]}}</ref> and 39% in his fourth.<ref name="gallup20250117" /> In July 2024, just before he withdrew from the 2024 presidential election, Gallup found his approval rating had fallen to an all-time low of 36%.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Megan |last=Brenan |date=July 23, 2024 |title=Biden's Approval Rating Hit New Low Before Exit From Race|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/647633/biden-approval-rating-hit-new-low-exit-race.aspx|access-date=July 31, 2024 |website=[[Gallup.com]]}}</ref> Gallup found that Biden had an average approval rating of 42.2% throughout his presidency, which was lower than all other presidents' except Trump's first term, at 41.1%. Biden's final approval rating in January 2025 was 40%, which was low but still higher than several other presidents' final approval ratings.<ref name="gallup20250117" /> Gallup's averaged polls of Biden's presidency found that he was the second-least popular president in its polling history, ahead of Trump.<ref name="gallup20250117">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=January 17, 2025 |title=Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/655298/biden-job-approval-second-lowest-among-post-wwii-presidents.aspx |access-date=2025-03-14 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]]}}</ref>

CNN and CBS News found Biden's final approval rating to be 37% and 36%, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=De Pinto |first1=Jennifer |last2=Salvanto |first2=Anthony |last3=Backus |first3=Fred |last4=Khanna |first4=Kabir |date=2025-01-19 |title=Biden's presidency viewed negatively by most Americans — CBS News poll - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-presidency-opinion-poll-2025-01-19/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=[[CBS News]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Agiesta |first=Jennifer |date=2025-01-15 |title=CNN Poll: Biden leaves office with his approval rating matching the lowest of his term |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/15/politics/cnn-poll-biden-presidency/index.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |publisher=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref> Polling aggregator [[FiveThirtyEight]] found that Biden had a final average approval rating of 37%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210128161428/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 28, 2021|title=How popular is Joe Biden?|website=FiveThirtyEight|access-date=February 3, 2025}}</ref>

=== Media depictions ===
{{See also|Saturday Night Live parodies of Joe Biden}}
Nine men have portrayed Biden on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', starting with [[Kevin Nealon]] in 1991. [[Jason Sudeikis]] portrayed Biden during the 2008 election season and reprised the role many times. During the 2020 election season, Biden was played by [[John Mulaney]], [[Alex Moffat]], [[Mikey Day]], [[Woody Harrelson]], and [[Jim Carrey]]. In 2024, [[Dana Carvey]] played the role.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/joe-biden-snl-actors|title= Everyone Who Has Played Joe Biden on SNL|publisher= [[NBC]]|date= September 27, 2024|accessdate= October 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/saturday-night-live-nate-bargatze-dana-carvey|title= Dana Carvey's Joe Biden Is the Real Star of 'Saturday Night Live'|magazine= Vanity Fair|accessdate= October 12, 2024}}</ref> In 2016, [[Greg Kinnear]] portrayed Biden in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[Confirmation (film)|Confirmation]]'', about the [[Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination|Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Liz Shannon |date=June 10, 2016 |title=Greg Kinnear Doesn't Do Impressions, But He Did Channel Joe Biden in 'Confirmation' (Consider This) |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/greg-kinnear-joe-biden-confirmation-emmys-1201682835/ |access-date=November 10, 2024 |website=IndieWire}}</ref>