Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
A fresh ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday revealed troubling statistics for President Joe Biden as he launches his re-election campaign. A substantial 63% of American adults doubt Biden’s mental sharpness to effectively serve as president, while only 32% believe he possesses the necessary acuity. This reflects a nine-percentage-point increase since a similar poll last year.
Additionally, 62% of respondents do not believe that Biden, now 80, is in adequate physical health to serve another term. Only 33% think he is, while 5% have no opinion. This data presents a potential hurdle for the president as he seeks re-election in 2024.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump, aged 76, has received more positive feedback in the poll, with 54% of respondents stating that he has the mental sharpness for the role, and 64% believe he is physically fit enough to serve as president.
The poll also reveals that 26% of Americans think Biden alone is too old to be president, while only 1% share the same view about Trump. Interestingly, 43% of respondents believe that both men are too old for the position.
Biden’s job approval rating has hit an all-time low of 36%, a six-point drop since February, compared to 56% who disapprove of his performance so far. Furthermore, 54% of respondents believe Trump handled the economy better than Biden, with only 36% supporting Biden’s performance in this area.
The latest poll results come on the heels of Biden’s announcement that he and Vice President Harris will be seeking re-election. The findings, based on a random national sample of 1,006 US adults, carry a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.