For Biden, part of the problem is the age and sharpness of the president. Twenty-six percent said Biden, who is 80, is too old for another term, and another 43 percent said both Biden and Trump, who is 76, are too old. Only 28 percent said neither is too old for four more years in the White House.
When asked if Biden has “the mental acuity needed to effectively serve as president,” only 32 percent said they believe so, while 63 percent said no. Of those who said he doesn’t, 94 percent were Republican, 69 percent independent, and 21 percent Democrat.
Biden has repeatedly resisted criticism of his age. “I feel good,” he said at a press conference in Rose Garden late last month. “And I’m excited about the outlook, and I think we’re about to really turn the corner in a way that we haven’t in a long time.”
The poll also showed Biden trailing Trump, the current front-runner to be the GOP nominee, in a head-to-head contest. If Biden and Trump were the candidates, 38 percent said they would definitely or probably vote for the president, compared to 44 percent who would definitely or probably support Trump.
And Biden fell behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a head-to-head contest, taking 37 percent to DeSantis’ 42 percent. DeSantis has not yet entered the presidential race, although it is widely expected that he will.
One particular issue that voters prefer Trump over Biden: the economy. When Trump took on his presidential rival in 2020 on how to handle the economy, he boasted more approval than Biden, with 54 percent saying they viewed his handling of the economy more favorably, and only 36 percent saying Biden had it better done.
Trump came out on top when he ran against other Republican presidential candidates. But the poll also heralded bad news for the former president, who currently faces felony charges and multiple pending investigations.
Fifty-six percent said Trump should face criminal charges related to investigations into whether he illegally attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including 90 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 16 percent of the Republicans.
Fifty-four percent said he should be charged for his handling of 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 uprising, including 91 percent of Democrats, 55 percent of independents and 16 percent of Republicans.
The poll, conducted by phone 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 were registered voters, 396 said they leaned Democratic, and 438 said they leaned Republican.