Americans increasingly question President Joe Biden’s fitness for his office. He frequently appears in public dazed and confused and acts incoherently. This prompted one Democratic pollster to warn the president faces a possible “Titanic” trend unless things change.
Former President Donald Trump now leads Biden in polling for the first time despite the former president being under indictment and facing civil judgment in the E. Jean Carroll rape defamation case.
The president announced his re-election campaign earlier this month.
Forty-four percent of voters say they would definitely or probably vote for Trump compared with 38 percent for Biden, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC Poll.
Biden and Trump Trade Leads
Until now, Biden had a commanding lead over Trump. While Americans view Biden as more honest and trustworthy than Trump by a 41 percent to 33 percent margin, they also look at Trump and see an older man who is in better physical and mental shape than Biden. Only 32 percent told the Post-ABC Poll they believe that Biden has the mental acuity to be president compared with 54 percent for Trump. When asked who has better physical shape 64 percent said Trump had the physical health needed for a second term compared with 33 percent for Biden.
If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were the Republican nominee, he would beat Biden by a 42 percent to 37 percent margin. DeSantis has consistently outpolled Biden compared with Trump.
Suburban voters helped hand Biden the White House in 2020. Now they are turning toward Trump by a 45 percent to 39 percent margin. Biden does best with white women at 50 percent.
His approval rating has hit an all-time low at 36 percent with 56 percent disapproving.
Biden’s support among Americans under 30 is even worse, with 26 percent approval. He fares slightly better among non-whites at 42 percent.
The poll also found that 54 percent thought Donald Trump was better on the economy during his presidency. Only 36 percent thought Biden did a good job handling the economy. Voters see strong job growth and low unemployment, but they see their earnings eroded by rising inflation.
Democrats Sound Alarm Over Biden
Former Hillary Clinton pollster Mark Penn told Fox News this shows that Democrats are deserting him.
“When he drops here from 42 to 36 in approval in this poll, that’s all Democrats who are jumping ship and saying, I don’t approve of the presidency he’s doing. And I think we’ve seen for a long time. Look, the Harris polling showed the same thing for a long time. People question his fitness for continued office. Most Democrats didn’t want him to run. But this poll has to send shockwaves. He just announced for presidency. You’re supposed to go up when you announce, not down,” Penn said.
He continued: “Remember, they rushed up this announcement. It was supposed to be in July. That would have given everyone an opportunity to see how he’s doing and not freeze the field. Instead, he froze the field in the Democratic Party. Everybody’s got to support him now and with numbers like this, they’re looking at a potential Titanic at this point unless it changes.”
A reporter from the Los Angeles Times questioned Biden about his decision to seek a second term earlier this month, noting that 70 percent of voters did not want him to seek a second term.
“(The American electorate is) going to see a race, and they’re going to judge whether or not I have it or don’t have it. I respect them taking a hard look at it. I take a hard look at it as well – I took a hard look at it before I decided to run, and I feel good, I feel excited about the prospects,” Biden said. “I think I still would be running if (Trump) wasn’t. I do know him well … Look, there’s just – there’s more to finish the job. We have an opportunity to put ourselves in a position where we are economically and politically secure for a long time … So, I think we have to finish the job and nail it down.”
Biden defended himself saying he felt up to the task. He will be 86 if he is to complete a second term.
Voters look at Biden a do not see a vigorous man. Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich noted in March that Biden is not a vigorous 80-year-old.
“I can tell you from experience and observation that the job of the American presidency is physically and mentally grueling even for people in their 40s. If re-elected, Biden would be 86 at the end of his second term (assuming he made it to the end). That’s deeply worrying,” Reich said.
MORE: Kamala Harris Is a Disaster
MORE: Joe Biden – Headed For Impeachment?
John Rossomando was s a senior analyst for Defense Policy and served as Senior Analyst for Counterterrorism at The Investigative Project on Terrorism for eight years. His work has been featured in numerous publications such as The American Thinker, Daily Wire, Red Alert Politics, CNSNews.com, The Daily Caller, National Review Online, The National Interest, Epoch Times, Human Events, Newsmax, The American Spectator, TownHall.com, and Crisis Magazine. He also served as senior managing editor of The Bulletin, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Philadelphia, and received the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors first-place award for his reporting.
