Nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters say President Biden should bow out of the race and let the party nominate a replacement, a new poll from the AP-NORC Center of Public Affairs found.
The poll, released Wednesday, found that 65% of surveyed voters take that stand. The damning survey results come as Mr. Biden and his campaign have worked to salvage his image and confidence among Democratic lawmakers in the aftermath of his incoherent June debate performance against a strong and clear Donald Trump.
That Biden debate performance, in which he trailed off during answers and struggled with a raspy voice, raised questions of his cognitive ability and health, with critics saying the press and those closest to the president covered up the true nature of his condition.
The AP’s poll, which was conducted from July 11-15 from a pool of 1,253 voters, found that nearly half of Democratic voters were “not at all confident” about Mr. Biden’s mental capacity to be president for a second term.
Voters have grown increasingly dissatisfied with Mr. Biden at the top of the ticket. In June prior to the debate, 42% of those surveyed were very or somewhat satisfied with the president as the Democratic nominee. That figure dropped to 37% in the latest poll.
Mr. Biden’s strongest pillar of support, according to the poll, comes from Black voters. Half of Black voters surveyed believe he should stay as the party’s nominee, while a third of White and a third of Hispanic Democratic voters feel the same.
Indeed, 23% of White and 33% of Hispanic Democrats are “very dissatisfied” with the prospect of Mr. Biden as the party’s nominee.
Whether Saturday’s assassination attempt against Mr. Trump has had any effect on voters’ answers is unclear in the poll, but the data set does show confidence among Republicans in him as the party’s standard-bearer.
More voters are satisfied with Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee, 32%, than Mr. Biden as the Democratic nominee, 22%.
The poll shows most voters still hold a more favorable view of Mr. Biden than Mr. Trump — 38% versus 37%.
Though Mr. Biden bullishly vowed to stay in the race, Vice President Kamala Harris has been floated as a possible replacement. About 48% of voters hold a favorable view of her.
Most voters didn’t know enough to weigh in on Mr. Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who was chosen on the last day of the polling.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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