Politics
44% of voters think 80-year-old Biden will run out of gas in 2nd term
By Jake Beardslee · September 18, 2023
In brief…
- More than half of Americans question President Biden's ability to complete a second term, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll.
- Only 28 percent of respondents believe Biden is physically healthy enough for another four years, compared to 55 percent for Trump.
- Just 33 percent of registered voters consider Biden mentally and cognitively fit for office.
- Trump leads Biden by only one point in a hypothetical rematch, according to the poll.
- Two-thirds of registered voters believe a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024 would be emblamatic of a broken political system.
A majority of Americans are skeptical about President Joe Biden’s ability to complete a second term in office. They are somewhat more confident that former President Donald Trump would make it through a second term should he be elected in November 2024.
Neither candidate received an overwhelming vote of confidence, according to a national poll conducted by CBS News/YouGov between September 12-15.
The poll indicates that 44 percent of registered voters believe Biden would not be able to finish a second term if reelected. This comes as age and mental competency continue to be significant issues in a 2024 election that’s shaping up to be a cage match between the two oldest major party candidates in U.S. history.
When it comes to physical health, only 28 percent of respondents think Biden is sufficiently fit for another four years as the nation’s chief executive. On the other hand, fifty-five percent of respondents believe Trump is ready for another four-year stay in the White House. As for mental fitness, only 33 percent of registered voters consider Biden to be mentally and cognitively fit for office.
The poll also highlights a tight race between Biden and Trump, with Trump leading by just one point at 50 percent to 49 percent for the 2024 race. However, nearly two-thirds of registered voters believe that a rematch between the two aging adversaries in 2024 would be emblematic of a broken U.S. political system.
Age concerns continue to plague Biden, as a separate poll from last month showed that 77 percent of Americans believe he is too old to serve a second term. Trump has questioned Biden’s basic capabilities, calling him “grossly incompetent” and suggesting that cognitive testing be required for all presidential candidates.
In addition to age-related concerns, Biden is currently facing an impeachment inquiry from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. At the same time, Trump has been indicted four times this year and will have to testify personally regarding his attempt to overturn Biden’s winning vote in the 2020 presidential election.
Looking ahead to the 2024 election, there are more than a dozen Republicans vying for the GOP nomination, including Vivek Ramaswamy, who at 38, would be the youngest president in U.S. history.
Biden, on the other hand, is running virtually unopposed in the Democratic primary, with long-shot bids from Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson.