Joe Biden

Force in Play

Negotiated the 2024 withdrawal agreement

The last US troops left Iraq on September 30, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. About 2,500 soldiers departed their remaining bases, closing the 12-year coalition campaign against the Islamic State group.

Updated Oct 20

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Out of office; sanctions program allowed to expire

The US Treasury lifted sanctions on September 18 against Eritrea's ruling party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), its military, and two linked businesses. A five-year national emergency declared by President Joe Biden in 2021 expired without renewal, erasing penalties imposed after Eritrean troops joined Ethiopia's assault on Tigray fighters.

Updated Sep 20

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Filed lawsuit May 27, 2026 in U.S. District Court for D.C.

Joe Biden talked with his ghostwriter for about 70 hours in 2016 and 2017. The Trump-era Justice Department now plans to release the recordings — and Biden sued Tuesday to block it.

Updated May 27

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Claimed credit for crime decline through federal investment

America's murder rate plunged to its lowest level since 1900 in 2025, as homicides fell 21%—the largest single-year drop ever recorded, according to Council on Criminal Justice data from 35 major cities. This followed 2024's historic 14.9% decline, creating an unprecedented two-year reversal. The 2025 rate, projected at 4 per 100,000 when the FBI releases nationwide data, is a complete reversal of the 2020 pandemic spike and brings murder 25% below pre-pandemic levels.

Updated May 19

Built World

As of May 2026: Signed IIJA into law; left office with 47% of funds obligated, 21% spent

China just front-loaded $42 billion in infrastructure spending for early 2026—281 projects approved before the calendar even flipped. The U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed with $1.2 trillion in 2021, has spent just 21% of its funds as of December 2024.

Updated May 19

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Approved major disaster declaration and 100% federal cost coverage

On January 7, 2025, two wildfires exploded across Los Angeles County with unprecedented speed. The Palisades Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Eaton Fire in Altadena spread at the rate of three football fields per minute, driven by Santa Ana winds gusting to 100 mph. Within hours, 200,000 people fled their homes. The fires killed at least 31 people directly, with researchers estimating 440 total deaths including those from heart and lung conditions aggravated by smoke and stress. By the time containment came 24 days later, 16,000 structures were destroyed and $150 billion in losses tallied—making it the costliest disaster in U.S. history.

Updated May 19

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Rescinded Trump travel bans on first day in office, reversed in second Trump term

Trump signed his first travel ban seven days into his presidency, blocking entry from seven Muslim-majority countries and igniting protests; courts blocked it within a week. After Supreme Court victories, a Biden reversal, and his return to power, Trump's December 2025 expansion restricts entry from 39 countries—affecting one in eight people worldwide and eliminating exemptions for immediate family.

Updated May 16

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Architect of the Inflation Reduction Act’s higher royalties and limited offshore leasing

Donald Trump's second-term energy agenda has moved from a single Gulf auction to a full-scale offshore transformation. The December 10 Gulf lease sale—81.2 million acres at a 12.5% royalty rate, generating $279.4 million—was just the opening move. By year's end, the administration had proposed a sweeping 2026-2031 leasing plan covering 1.27 billion acres off California, Florida and Alaska, and scheduled a second Gulf sale for March 11, 2026. It simultaneously halted all five major East Coast offshore wind projects, citing national security risks; Shell-INEOS's early January oil discovery south of New Orleans showed the industry's bet on deepwater Gulf prospects.

Updated May 10

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Architect of the SAVE plan and broader student debt relief push now under sustained legal attack.

Biden sold the SAVE plan as a fix for millions facing a broken student loan system: smaller payments, faster forgiveness, and protection from ballooning interest.

Updated May 10