As Biden prepares to address the nation, more than 6 in 10 US adults doubt his mental capability
WASHINGTON — A poll shows a growing share of American adults doubt that 81-year-old President Joe Biden has the memory and acumen for the job, turning his upcoming State of the Union address into a kind of real-time audition for a second term.
About six-in-ten say they do not have much or no confidence in Biden’s mental ability to serve effectively as president, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s a slight increase from January 2022, when about half of respondents expressed similar concerns.
Similarly, nearly 6 in 10 also say they have no confidence in the mental abilities of former President Donald Trump, the 77-year-old Republican front-runner.
For many voters, this year’s elections look like a showdown for the toughest job in the world, between two men who are already well past the standard retirement age. The next president will likely have to overcome global conflicts, resolve domestic emergencies and work with a dysfunctional Congress.
Biden will address these challenges and more likely in his State of the Union address Thursday as he tries to convince Americans he deserves another term.
Heading into the big event, only 38% of American adults approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, while 61% disapprove. Democrats (74%) are much more likely to support his performance than independents (20%) and Republicans (6%). But there is widespread dissatisfaction with Biden’s handling of a variety of issues, including the economy, immigration and foreign policy.
About four in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s handling of each of these issues: health care, climate change, abortion policy and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But people are less satisfied with Biden’s handling of immigration (29%), the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians (31%) and the economy (34%) – all of which are likely to be addressed in the speech before a joint session. of Congress.
Nearly six-in-ten (57%) Americans think the national economy is in slightly or much worse shape than it was before Biden took office in 2021. Only three in 10 adults say things are better under his leadership. Yet people are more optimistic about the state of their own bank accounts: 54% say their personal finances are good.
Many survey respondents were deeply pessimistic about their likely choices in November due to their age and risk of cognitive decline.
Paul Miller, himself 84, said Biden is simply too old – and so is Trump.
“He doesn’t seem to have the mental capacity to be president,” Miller said of Biden. He added that Trump is “also too old and half crazy.”
The retiree from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, said he voted for Trump in 2020 but wouldn’t do so again.
“I don’t think I’m going to vote for either one,” he said. “I hope there is still someone available.”
The president is facing additional pressure because of his age after unflattering descriptions of him in a special counsel’s report that recommended no criminal charges against Biden for mishandling classified documents, unlike Trump who was indicted for the keeping classified material in his Florida home. The report said Biden’s memory was “fuzzy,” “hazy,” “defective,” “poor” and had “significant impairment.”
Biden has tried to allay concerns by joking about his age and addressing Trump’s own blunders. Yet the president’s age is a risk that has overshadowed his policy achievements on infrastructure, manufacturing and tackling climate change.
About a third of Democrats said they have little or no confidence in Biden’s mental abilities in the new survey, down from 14% in January 2022. Only 40% of Democrats said they have extremely or very high confidence in Biden’s mental abilities Biden’s capabilities. skills, with about 3 in 10 saying they are “somewhat” confident.
And what’s a big risk for Biden is that independents are far more likely to say they don’t have confidence in his mental abilities (80%) than Trump’s (56%).
Republicans are generally more comfortable with Trump’s mental capabilities than Democrats are with Biden’s. The survey shows that 59% of Republicans are extremely or very confident that Trump has the mental capacity to become president. Another 20% have some confidence, and 20% have little or no confidence at all.
But if there’s one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on, it’s that the other party’s likely nominee isn’t mentally up to the task. About 9 in 10 Republicans say Biden does not have the mental capacity to serve as president, while a similar share of Democrats say that about Trump.
Part of Biden’s problem is that his policies have not yet cut through the daily chaos of life.
Sharon Gallagher, 66, worries about inflation. She voted for Biden in 2020, but believes he has not done enough for the economy. She also thinks that Trump gets angry a little too quickly. The Sarasota, Florida, resident said she doesn’t have the bandwidth to really assess their policies.
“I don’t pay enough attention to politics to even know,” Gallagher said. “I have grandchildren who live with me and I have children’s programs all day long.”
Justin Tjernlund, 40, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, said Biden “seems like he’s still here,” but even if he were in decline, he has “a whole army of people to help him do the job.” Trjenlund said he voted for Trump in 2020 and plans to do so again because the Republican is “interesting” and “refreshing.”
Still, because of the ages of both candidates, Greg Olivo, 62, said he plans to focus on Vice President Kamala Harris and whoever Trump chooses as his running mate, if he is the nominee.
“Keep a close eye on the vice president,” said the machinist from Valley City, Ohio, who voted for Biden in 2020 and would do so again. “Because in four years that person will probably be president one way or another. ”
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The poll of 1,102 adults was conducted from February 22 to 26, 2024, using a sample from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points for all respondents.
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Associated Press polling reporter Linley Sanders contributed.