JASON CHAFFETZ: Five keys to Biden's failed presidency
As he leaves office next week, President Biden will primarily be remembered for his astounding incompetence. As a new generation of officeholders from both parties battles the devastating consequences of his failed leadership, his destructive impact on his own party, agenda and voters will cast a long shadow.
Among the myriad failures, five stand out as a cautionary tale for future leaders.
Even in the corrupt world of politics, Biden stood out for his obvious lack of integrity. His administration will be synonymous with gaslighting and influence-peddling.
He lied about small things – like graduating in the top half of his law school class or leadership in the civil rights movement. He lied about personal things – like falsely claiming his son died in Iraq, and that members of his family were killed by a drunken driver.
WHY WE MUST EXPOSE THE CRIMINAL FRAUD OF THOSE BEHIND BIDEN'S DISASTROUS PRESIDENCY
He lied about blatantly obvious things, like inflation rates, student loan forgiveness and his promise not to pardon his son’s many crimes. He lied about matters of global significance – like the border being secure, the Afghanistan withdrawal being a success, and his own direct involvement in his family’s influence peddling.
Nothing from his administration could be trusted – not even the jobs numbers.
He governed the way he campaigned in 2020 – from the figurative basement. We seldom saw him. He would occasionally choose to bloviate on some issue to propagate a narrative, but he seldom took questions.
THE THREAT FROM RADICAL ISLAM IS NOW INSIDE OUR GATES. BIDEN IGNORED IT. TRUMP MUST ACT
He rarely interacted with the media and when he did, it was with a pre-scripted select few. His incessant vacations rarely appeared to involve any actual work. He demonstrated little familiarity with facts.
It is unclear to what degree he was even engaged in making decisions. He spent roughly 40% of his time away from the White House.
He failed on the basic principles of presidential leadership. Our enemies did not fear us. Our allies took advantage of us. Our bureaucracy was weaponized against us.
BIDEN KEEPS INSULTING AMERICANS WITH LAST MINUTE MOVES. REPUBLICANS CAN STOP IT
Biden made no attempt to bridge political divides. The justification for his candidacy was his knowledge of Washington and his promise to unite. There is no evidence any success bringing the country together.
Rather than laying the groundwork for a prosperous future, he spent his political capital going after his political opposition. Most destructive to his party was his failure to lay the groundwork for a new generation of Democratic leadership.
Even a great leader could not succeed on an agenda that imports rampant criminality, maintains unprecedented spending levels, pursues economically devastating energy policies, and prioritizes foreign aid over American prosperity.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
If Democrats have policy ideas that actually work, Biden apparently never embraced them. Immigration, crime, foreign policy, woke policies and, of course, the economy all failed and were rejected resoundingly by the voters four years later.
Biden will be remembered for looting the treasury on his way out the door.
In an undercover video, one EPA adviser described Biden’s approach to climate initiatives as "throwing gold bars off the Titanic" – a metaphor we are likely to find described most of government in the waning days of the Biden administration.
In a petty effort to sabotage his successor, Biden has locked in regulations that prevent offshore drilling, commit the United States to costly climate initiatives, obligate us in long-term international conflicts, flood the country will millions who are here illegally, and embed loyalists in the bureaucracy while ensuring many didn’t need to come into the office in the next five years. These efforts not only undermine the future administration, they undermine American prosperity.
As bad as it all looks now, the generational impacts of Biden’s failures will etch his legacy of failure in stone.