President Joe Biden took the oath of office one year ago Thursday, a year consumed with crises at home and abroad.
Among them were an evolving Covid-19 pandemic, record inflation, partisan divisions, a chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, a dangerous Russian military buildup on the Ukraine border and stalled – or failed – legislative efforts on voting rights, gun control, police reform and the President’s Build Back Better agenda. There were some legislative victories on Covid-19 relief and infrastructure as well.
A CNN analysis of Biden’s public remarks sheds light into his priorities in this first year as he’s sought to show leadership on Covid and other issues. Since his inauguration on January 20, 2021, Biden has made remarks at least 264 times spanning a wide variety of topics, from his domestic agenda and Covid-19 to the state of the economy and foreign policy.
Biden has most frequently spoken about the Covid-19 pandemic (55 times), followed by his domestic agenda (49 times). Addressing the economy more broadly has been a key priority as Biden has sought to tout economic recovery to the American people (31 times).
The President has made remarks on foreign policy 26 times, including several appearances on Afghanistan. He has also stepped into the role of consoler-in-chief, speaking 15 times on various natural disasters, as well as a visit to Florida following the Surfside building collapse. Other topics of note include political speeches (10), gun violence (5), and voting rights and democracy (4).
Biden has also taken on some of the more familiar pomp and circumstance of the presidency, appearing at holiday events like the annual turkey pardon.
