Update 24/01/25 – 09:11 am (IST): In an emailed statement to CNBC, a Google spokesperson claimed “there was a brief data error in our knowledge graph,” which resulted in former president Joe Biden not appearing in the list of presidents. The issue has since been rectified. Upon searching for “US presidents in order,” Joe Biden now shows up.
Original article published on January 23, 2025, follows:
Google might be dealing with a glitch, but it’s a pretty awkward one. If you search “US presidents in order,” you’ll notice something strange. The list jumps from Donald Trump’s new term in 2025 straight back to his first presidency in 2017, completely skipping over Joe Biden. It then continues as if nothing’s missing, showing Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and so on.
This odd omission hasn’t gone unnoticed. Reddit users on r/google quickly flagged it, with screenshots confirming that Biden’s name is nowhere to be found. The post got plenty of traction, with many joking about how rare it is for Bing to get something right. For the record, Bing shows the correct sequence, with Biden listed between Trump and Obama. Our team tried searching for the list and got the same results too. Bing got it right, but Google didn’t.
This isn’t just a small mistake. Kids and students often rely on Google for quick and accurate information. Leaving out a recent president isn’t just a quirky error — it’s a pretty big deal. Some commenters are speculating that it’s an innocent bug, but others wonder if there’s something intentional going on. One Reddit user pointed out that Biden isn’t listed on the archived Trump White House website either, though that site seems incomplete in general, listing only 45 presidents.
Many users are waiting to see how quickly Google fixes this mistake. In the meantime, the incident is sparking debates about how much we rely on search engines to get things right. That said, it’s most likely a simple error that should be rectified shortly after Google becomes aware of the problem.
Google, however, isn’t the only tech giant in the spotlight for the wrong reasons following Trump’s inauguration. Meta seems to be going through a rough phase too with accusations of censorship and boosting followers for Trump and JD Vance. It’ll be interesting to see big tech scramble to put out the many fires that are being lit by eagle-eyed netizens.
Dwayne Cubbins
591 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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