Political expert: Biden has not fully met his expectations 1 year into presidency

Thursday will mark one year since President Joe Biden was sworn into office.
The president defended his record at a news conference held on Wednesday afternoon. But a New Jersey political expert says Biden has not fully met high expectations. He does say that there is still time for him to do so.
“His base, his supporters, have high expectations of what they want and what they have not yet seen,” says Micah Rasmussen, of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. “And so there's an inevitable sense of letdown. And the opposition isn't going to give an inch.”
Many are wondering how well Biden governed and how well he handled issues from the COVID-19 pandemic to inflation to foreign affairs.
“It’s been a year of challenges, but also a year of enormous progress,” Biden said.
The president said he has been successful even though he has more work to do.
“I didn’t overpromise and I think, in fact, that I have outperformed what people thought,” Biden said.
“Economically, we have a mixed bag,” Rasmussen says.
Rasmussen is a political science professor at Rider University and also runs the Rebovich Institute.
“Inflation is at a 40-year high. Right? And that's deeply concerning to most Americans. They're reminded of it every time they go to fill up their car or their grocery cart,” Rasmussen says.
Internationally, there was the tragic and chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan last summer.
“That is a moment in time that’s frozen. It’s an image in time that’s frozen, so unfortunately, you have to live with that,” says Rasmussen.
The pandemic is still ongoing, but the economy is recovering.
“We are definitely in a better position. Are we all the way back? No, we’re not all the way back,” Rasmussen says.
And there will always be comparisons with Biden’s predecessor, former Presidents Donald Trump.
“If Biden is more measured in comparison to Trump, he is going to look like he’s pulling punches. He’s going to look weaker,” says Rasmussen.
Congressional midterm elections are this November. But the president is still just one fourth of the way through his term.
“Our expectations are short. Our timeline is short. Everybody is looking for results, but one year is not a long time,” Rasmussen says.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will be in New Jersey on Thursday to visit Bergen County Community College in Paramus with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.