When he took office one year ago, U.S. President Joe Biden faced extraordinary challenges.
He had to contend with a global pandemic that had crushed the economy and confounded the experts. He had to repair shattered alliances and restore American credibility after four years of President Donald Trump. More pointedly, he was taking charge of a country left bitterly divided — with trust in government plummeting, Republicans disinclined to cooperate and Democrats commanding only the barest majorities in Congress.
At the outset of a new administration, things have rarely looked so bad.