For Biden, part of the problem is the president’s age and acuity. Twenty-six percent said Biden, 80, is still too old, and 43 percent said both Biden and Trump, 76, are too old. Only 28 percent said the White House was not even four years old.
When asked if Biden “has the mental acuity necessary to serve effectively as president,” only 32 percent said they believed he did, and 63 percent said he did not. Of those who said no, 94 percent were Republicans, 69 percent were independents and 21 percent were Democrats.
Biden has repeatedly pushed back against criticism of his age. “I feel great,” he told a Rose Garden press conference late last month. “And I feel excited about the prospects, and I think we’re really on the verge of turning the corner in a way that we haven’t been in a long time.”
The poll also shows Biden trailing Trump, the current front-runner for the GOP nomination, in a head-to-head race. If Biden and Trump were the nominees, 38 percent said they would definitely or probably vote for the president, while 44 percent would definitely or probably support Trump.
And Biden trailed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, taking 37 percent to DeSantis’ 42 percent in a head-to-head race. DeSantis has yet to enter the presidential race, although he is widely expected to run for president.
One particular issue where voters prefer Trump to Biden: the economy. When pitted against his 2020 presidential rival on his handling of the economy, Trump boasted a higher approval rating than Biden, with 54 percent saying he viewed his handling of the economy very favorably, and 36 percent saying Biden did a better job.
Trump came out on top against other Republican presidential hopefuls. But the poll also heralded some bad news for the former president, who is currently facing criminal charges and multiple investigations.
56 percent said Trump should face criminal charges related to investigations into whether he tried to illegally change the results of the 2020 election, including 90 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 16 percent of Republicans.
Fifty-four percent said he should face charges for handling classified documents, including 86 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of independents, and 17 percent of Republicans; And 54 percent said he should be charged for his role in the January 6 riots, including 91 percent of Democrats, 55 percent of independents and 16 percent of Republicans.
The poll, conducted by telephone from April 28 to May 3, included responses from 1,006 adults nationwide and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Of those adults, 900 said they were registered voters, 396 said they were Democrats, and 438 said they were Republicans.
