Joe Biden is facing one of the most challenging and polarized political environments ever experienced by a new president. After four years of turbulence and partisan combat under President Donald Trump, Biden wants to settle the country down, lower the nation's political temperature, and work with his adversaries. He also is promising to reverse many of Trump's policies, such as those on immigration, taxes, and climate change; and to mend fences with global partners through alliances and international agreements. This is generating strong dissent and is sure to result in hard feelings among Trump loyalists—and could lead to the legislative gridlock that many Americans abhor.

Journalist and historian Ken Walsh looks at the high and low points of the new presidency so far as he reviews Biden’s first 100 days in office. This has been the traditional point for assessing how a new president is doing ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt surged into office in 1933 with a blaze of energy and a rush of legislation. Walsh discusses how Biden's defeat of Trump in both the Electoral College and the popular vote led to ongoing attempts to overturn Biden's victory and to undermine his legitimacy as president. He highlights how Biden has worked to overcome these obstacles, and where work needs to still be done.

Walsh is a veteran White House correspondent and professorial lecturer who has written nine books on the presidency.

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