Nearly half of voters think President Biden could be replaced as the Democratic nominee in 2024 amid growing concerns over his health.
A Monmouth University poll released Thursday revealed Biden is “seen in a more negative light than Trump” when it comes to physical health and age, as only 32% of respondents think the president is physically fit to serve another four years in office.
The results reflect a significant 20-point decrease in voter confidence in Biden since 2020, when Monmouth reported over 50% of voters believing Biden had the stamina to be president.
As he seeks re-election, about 48% of respondents said that they think it is either somewhat or very likely Biden will be replaced as the Democratic nominee in 2024 due to elevated concerns over his health and stamina.
DEMOCRATS USE TRUMP TO DEFLECT CONCERNS ABOUT BIDEN’S COGNITIVE HEALTH
Additionally, about one third of respondents also said they could see GOP frontrunner former President Trump being replaced on the ballot, but cited his legal battles as the reasoning.
Trump is making a third bid for the presidency at 77 years old, while Biden is setting records as the oldest sitting president in American history at 81.
Special Counsel Robert Hur recently released his report on Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, sounding alarm bells after writing that the president was suffering from “significant limitations” and memory issues.
Following the report, Vice President Kamala Harris told the Wall Street Journal that she is “ready to serve,” increasing speculation that Democrats are considering an alternative candidate to Biden in 2024.
Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, highlighted that the survey results reveal “Biden is seen in a more negative light than Trump” when it comes to age and health.
“It’s interesting that voters in the same age bracket as both candidates don’t see much of a difference in terms of their stamina,” Murray said alongside the results. “But younger voters clearly have different perceptions of the two. This is probably one reason why many think Biden’s name may not be on the ballot in the fall – more than say the same about Trump.”
The majority of respondents under the age of 70, about 52%, have more confidence in Trump’s stamina than Biden, who only 30% of respondents within that age group believe is fit enough to be president.
The poll also found that Trump leads in a hypothetical 2024 matchup against Biden by 2 percentage points, with 46% of respondents saying they will either definitely or probably be voting for the former president in the fall.
The Monmouth University poll was conducted from Feb. 8 to 12 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
