Since his term began in January 2021, there have been concerns about President Joe Biden’s ability, at the age of 80, to withstand the rigors of being the leader of the free world. However, as time has passed and Biden’s struggles appear to have gotten worse, a growing number of Americans are more concerned than ever.
The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll reveals that a majority of Americans, 62 percent to 36 percent, believe Biden lacks the mental capacity to serve as president beyond his first term.
“Biden did, however, actually see a slight increase in his approval rating to 45%, up 4 points from last month. That indicates there will likely be a significant number of people who believe there are serious concerns about Biden’s mental fitness but will vote for him anyway,” NPR reported.
Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP frontrunner for 2024, performed better in terms of mental fitness, with 52 percent saying it was a concern compared to 43 percent who said it wasn’t.
NPR added:
Biden is the eldest president in U.S. history at the age of 80. His age has also been a source of concern for Democrats, who question whether Biden gives them the greatest chance of victory in 2024, particularly if Trump is the Republican nominee again.
Nearly four out of ten Democrats, seven out of ten independents, and, as expected, more than eight out of ten Republicans viewed his mental fitness as a major concern. Several key Democratic and swing groups, including those 45 or younger (69%), GenZ/Millennials (67%), men (66%), those without a college degree (66%), non-whites (64%) and suburbanites (63%), viewed Biden’s mental fitness as a legitimate concern.
“It’s a serious vulnerability that will have Democrats biting their nails as the campaign heats up and holding their breath with each speech, news conference, and debate,” the report added.
Biden will be 82 years old on Inauguration Day in January 2025 if he is reelected; Trump will be 78 if he becomes the party’s nominee and defeats Biden in a rematch.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was queried about Biden’s near-fall down some steps at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, a few days earlier, during a chatfest at the Financial Times Weekend Festival in Washington, D.C., last week.
“There was that heart-stopping moment when he almost fell over coming down the stairs a day or two ago,” Financial Times editor Edward Luce noted. “He didn’t use a railing, and Jill wasn’t there with him.
“Every time that happens, your heart is in your mouth because these things could be consequential. Is that a concern?” he then asked.
“It’s a concern for anyone. We’ve had presidents who had fallen before who were a lot younger, and people didn’t go into heart palpitations,” Clinton responded.
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
“But his age is an issue, and people have every right to consider it,” Clinton noted further, in a departure from other Democrats who have defended Biden by pushing back against criticisms regarding his age. CONTINUE READING…
