Two-thirds of Americans think President Biden should drop out of the race following his poor debate performance, according to a poll released Thursday that showed widespread doubts about the president’s mental fitness even as he remains statistically tied with Republican rival former President Donald Trump.
A majority of Democrats, 56%, said Mr. Biden should withdraw and more than 7 in 10 Republicans and independents think he should drop out, according to the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
The poll underscored Mr. Biden’s predicament as he faces doubts from his party about his cognitive abilities, his chances of winning in November and whether he can serve another four years.
At the same time, the poll found the debate did not drastically change voter preferences. Mr. Trump leads Mr. Biden by just 1 point, 47% to 46%, or similar to the 46%-44% split measured in April.
If Vice President Kamala Harris were to replace Mr. Biden at the top of the ticket, she leads Mr. Trump 49% to 46%. That’s better than Mr. Biden under the poll, though not statistically significant.
Still, the debate worsened perceptions of the president. A record-high 85% think Mr. Biden, 81, is too old to be president, up from the 68% recorded a year ago.
Six in 10 voters feel that way about Mr. Trump, who is 78. Mr. Trump argues that Mr. Biden is not too old to be president, yet personally incapable.
Roughly four in 10 Americans say neither candidate has the mental sharpness or the physical health to serve effectively, according to the poll.
Mr. Biden insists he is not dropping out, despite fresh doubts from supporters such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and actor George Clooney, among others, about his fitness.
The president said he will not bow to “elites” in the party and is rallying supporters in swing states, including a recent stop at a historically Black church in Philadelphia.
While majorities of groups say Mr. Biden should step aside, slightly less than half — 49% — of Black voters say he should quit, including only 32% among Black people aged 50 and older.
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The poll was conducted online July 5-9 among a random national sample of 2,431 adults. It had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
The presidential debate was on June 27 in Atlanta.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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