According to a new poll, 59 percent of Americans are ‘concerned’ about President Joe Biden’s mental health, while questions linger about whether the 79-year-old should try for a second term.
The recently released I&I/TIPP poll found that 36 percent of respondents were ‘very concerned’ about the president’s mental health, with another 23 percent saying they are ‘somewhat concerned.’ An additional 2 percent of poll respondents said they were unsure.
However, party ideology did appear to play a role in people’s perceptions about Democrat Biden. Among Republicans, 82 percent said they were worried about Biden’s mental health, while 39 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents agreed.
Pollsters noted that although the Democratic number is smaller at 39 percent, it is still ‘statistically high.’ Conversely, 58 percent of Democrats said they aren’t concerned about the president’s mental health. Meanwhile, 39 percent of independents and only 17 percent of Republicans agreed.
Age, race, gender didn’t affect poll
While party preference skewed Americans’ opinions, usual factors including race, age, and gender mostly did not. Fifty-nine percent of women and men said they were concerned about President Biden’s mental health. Among those who said they were unconcerned, 38 percent were women, and 39 percent were men.
Latinos and whites expressed equal concern, with 61 percent of Latinos and sixty-three percent of whites agreeing. Black Americans held more confidence in the president, with 53 percent saying they were not worried about his mental state, compared with 44 percent who said they were.
When the poll is broken down by age, it showed that 59 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds were concerned, 62 percent of 25 to 44-year old, 57 percent of 45 to 64-year-olds, and 56 percent of individuals aged 65 and older.
According to Issues & Insights’ Terry Jones, “The fact is, based on these polling data, there is genuine concern among virtually all groups over Biden’s cognitive health. It has taken on political urgency with the looming 2022 midterm elections, which, if Republicans prevail, could well turn Biden into a lame duck.”
Biden has been known throughout his career as a gaffe-prone politician. Still, Republicans, as well as Democrats, have pointed out that recent physical and verbal stumbles, including a fall from his bike in Delaware, reading directions from teleprompters, and speaking of U.S. troops’ ‘selfishness’ while on a visit to Saudi Arabia have suggested that the near 80-year-old president could be done after one term.
The poll was conducted online and surveyed 1,335 U.S. adults between August 2 and August 4. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
