When President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20, 2021, there was widespread relief. Most voters wanted to replace the exhausting chaos of Donald Trump’s tenure with what they hoped would be calm competence.

Biden started his presidency with an average 56% job approval rating. A majority of independents and nearly all Democrats backed him. About 61% felt optimistic about the policies Biden would pursue, and 71% wanted Republicans to find ways to work with him. COVID-19 vaccines offered new hope the pandemic would soon fade away.