The Democratic incumbent maintains an advantage over Trump despite concerns about his advancing age, a survey has found
President Joe Biden announces the cancellation of an additional $1.2 billion in student loan debt for about 153,000 borrowers, at meeting with community at Culver City Julian Dixon Library in Culver City, CA on February 21, 2024 © Getty Images / Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
US voters have again expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age, according to the findings of a recent poll; nevertheless, the incumbent president maintains a narrow advantage over his presumptive challenger in November’s election, Donald Trump.
The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,421 registered voters conducted between February 15 and 19 and published on Wednesday found that 49% of respondents favored Biden in a hypothetical presidential rematch with Trump – a four-point advantage over the likely Republican candidate, who was backed by 45%.
However, 67% of voters said that the 81-year-old Biden is “too old to effectively serve another four-year term in the White House”; 57% held the same opinion of 77-year-old Trump.
Just over a third of respondents – 34% – said that Biden is mentally fit for the presidency, while 48% said they believed Trump to be cognitively capable of holding office.
Both presidential candidates have dismissed recent concerns over their advancing age.
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Biden responded angrily to special counsel Robert Hur’s report earlier this month over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, which said he is a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory,” telling reporters in the White House that “I know what the hell I’m doing.”
Earlier this month, former White House physician and current Texas Republican Representative Ronny Jackson, along with 83 other GOP lawmakers, expressed “grave concerns” over Biden’s mental abilities. The group called upon the US leader to prove his mental acuity by taking a cognitive exam.
Trump, meanwhile, has made several verbal gaffes on the campaign trail – including appearing to confuse his GOP rival Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He has also seemed to mix up Biden with former US president Barack Obama on at least seven occasions in recent months, according to a report by Forbes.
Brushing off concerns, Trump responded to Haley’s jabs over his age last month by saying he felt “about 35 years old.” He added that “some people have great genes.”
Additionally, when the presidential matchup was expanded to the include Green Party and independent candidates, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the poll had Biden leading Trump by a single percentage point (38% to 37%).
A prior survey, held in January, showed Biden with a six-point lead over Trump.
Elsewhere in the same Quinnipiac University poll, respondents generally supported the continuance of US aid to Ukraine despite Congress’ ongoing deadlock over the matter. 56% were in favor of Washington continuing to back Kiev militarily; 44% were against it.
