Pollster Nate Silver has raised serious questions about President Biden’s reelection bid, citing his cellar-dwelling approval rating.
Mr. Silver highlighted Mr. Biden’s historically low 37.4%.
“Biden just hit a new all-time low in approval (37.4%),” the data analyst and founder of FiveThirtyEight wrote on X. “Dropping out would be a big risk. But there’s some threshold below which continuing to run is a bigger risk.”
The polling guru added, “Are we there yet? I don’t know. But it’s more than fair to ask.”
The pollster previously expressed doubts about the 81-year-old president’s ability to defeat former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
In February, Mr. Silver sparked debate among Democrats by suggesting that other party members might be better suited to challenge the 77-year-old former president. Last month, he reiterated that Mr. Biden should consider stepping down.
“Democrats would have been better served if Biden had decided a year ago not to seek a second term,” Mr. Silver said. “This would have allowed for a primary process and given voters a choice among several popular Democrats.”
Aside from raging inflation and the flood of illegal immigration under Mr. Biden, he faces diminishing support because of his age, which Mr. Silver calls an “extremely understandable concern” for voters. “Biden’s age is something voters are overwhelmingly consistent about mentioning in polls. The concern has persisted through various phases of media vibes.”
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