Julie Norman, Deputy Director of the UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP), joins France 24 on the first anniversary of Joe Biden's presidency to take a look back at his first year in office. "The first half of Biden's first year, he really did come out strong," observes Ms. Norman, with some "early successes" on two key domestic issues: Covid and the economy. "On the pandemic, he came out with a very strong vaccine rollout," explains Ms. Norman. "And on the economy, he came out very quickly with a $1.9 trillion relief package, followed by a bipartisan infrastructure bill. But he's taken a hit on both of those issues recently." In a stark reversal from the strong support Biden initially enjoyed, the latest poll shows that Americans' confidence in Biden has eroded considerably from 59%, in July 2021, to 43%. A clear majority of Americans are disapproving of his handling of the presidency in the face of an unrelenting pandemic, roaring inflation and the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Republicans are forecast to crush his party in the midterm elections and take control of the legislature, which could lead to two years of complete obstruction from Congress.

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