More than 6 in 10 American adults doubt Joe Biden’s mental capacity

A growing percentage of American adults doubt that President Joe Biden, 81, Have memory and mental acuity for the locationthat transforms your neighbor State of the Union Address in a sort of real-time casting for a second term.

About 6 in 10 say they have little or no confidence in their mental abilities of Biden to act effectively as president, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Regard a slight increase compared to January 2022, when about half of respondents expressed similar concerns.

Two men beyond retirement age

Alike, even almost 6 out of 10 They say they don’t have faith former President Donald Trump’s mental capacitythe 77-year-old Republican frontrunner.

For many voters, this year’s election feels like a showdown for the world’s toughest office between two men who are well past normal retirement age. The next president will likely have to manage global conflicts, resolve domestic emergencies and work with a dysfunctional Congress.

Biden will likely address these challenges and more in his State of the Union address on Thursday as he tries to convince Americans that He deserves another term.

Before the big event, only 38% of American adults approve how Biden handles his job as president, while 61% disapprove. Democrats (74%) are much more likely than independents (20%) and Republicans (6%) to approve of his performance. But there is widespread discontent with how Biden is handling a range of issues, including the economy, immigration and foreign policy.

About 4 in 10 Americans approve of how Biden is addressing these issues: healthcare, climate change, abortion policy, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. But people are less satisfied with Biden’s handling of immigration (29%), the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (31%) and the economy (34%), which are likely to be addressed in the speech before a session of Congress joint.

Nearly 6 in 10 Americans (57%) think the national economy is a little or a lot worse than before Biden took office in 2021. Only 3 in 10 adults say it is better under his leadership. However, people are more optimistic about the state of their bank account: 54% believe their personal finances are good.

pessimistic voters

Many of those interviewed were profoundly pessimistic about their possible elections in November due to the age of the candidates and the risk of cognitive impairment.

Paul Miller, 84, said Biden is too old just like Trump.

“He doesn’t appear to have the mental capacity to be president,” Miller said of Biden. He added that Trump is “too old and half crazy.”

The Carlisle, Pennsylvania, retiree said he voted for Trump in 2020 but wouldn’t do so again.

“I don’t think I’ll vote for any of them,” he said. “I hope there is another person available.”

A devastating relationship

The president faces more pressure because of his age after unflattering descriptions of him a special prosecutor’s report that did not recommend prosecuting Biden for his mishandling of classified material, unlike Trump, who was accused of having classified material in his Florida home. The report states that Biden’s memory It was “fuzzy,” “unfocused,” “flawed,” “substandard,” and had “significant limitations.”

Biden tried to allay concerns by joking about his age and criticizing Trump’s gaffes. However, the president’s age is an obstacle that has overshadowed his political achievements in infrastructure, manufacturing and the fight against climate change.

In the new poll, about a third of Democrats said they had little or no confidence in Biden’s mental abilities, down from 14% in January 2022. Only 40% of Democrats said they had a lot or a lot of confidence in Biden. ability, and about 3 in 10 say they have “some” confidence.

And since it’s a major risk for Biden, that’s much more likely to be the case the independents say they are less confident in their own mental abilities (80%) than Trump’s (56%).

In general, Republicans are more comfortable with Trump’s mental abilities than Democrats are with Biden’s. In the poll, 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 none.

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 lacks the mental capacity to act as president, while a similar percentage of Democrats say the same of Trump.

Part of Biden’s problem is that his policies have yet to resolve the messiness of daily life.

Sharon Gallagher, 66 years old, he is worried about inflation. She voted for Biden in 2020, but believes he hasn’t done enough for the economy. He also believes Trump gets angry too quickly. The Sarasota, Florida, resident said she doesn’t have the ability to judge her politics.

“I don’t pay enough attention to politics to know that,” Gallagher said. “I have grandchildren living with me and I watch children’s shows all day.”

Justin Tjernlund, 40, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, said Biden “seems like he’s still going strong,” but even if he were in decline, he has “a whole army of people helping him get the job done.” Trjenlund said he voted for Trump in 2020 and wants to do so again because the Republican is “interesting” and “something new.”

However, 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 nominated.

“Keep an eye on the vice president,” said the train driver from Valley City, Ohio, who voted for Biden in 2020 and would do so again. “Because that person will probably be president in four years, one way or another.”

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Translation: Elisa Carnelli