Poll: 67% of Voters Think Biden Is Too Old for a Second Term

A large majority of voters think President Biden is too old to effectively serve another term, but they still prefer him to Donald Trump by a 4-point margin, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll. The poll put Biden, 81, ahead of the 77-year-old Trump 49% to 45% in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, down from a 6-point lead in last month's Quinnipiac poll. When other candidates were included, Biden had a lead of just a single point over Trump, with Robert F. Kennedy at 15%. In a hypothetical head-to-head race with Nikki Haley, the 52-year-old was ahead of Biden 46% to 43%. Some 67% said Biden was too old, compared to 41% who thought Trump was too old to serve another term effectively.

Poll respondents put Trump well ahead of Biden on both physical and mental fitness, but Biden scored higher when it came to questions on ethics and temperament. Some 49% said Biden was ethical, compared with just 29% for Trump. And 49% said Biden has the personality and temperament to serve effectively as president, compared to 37% for Trump. "A Biden-Trump split decision on physical and emotional fitness leaves both looking vulnerable," says Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy. " Yes, Trump wins walking away on the age and stamina question, but voters have more confidence in Biden's empathy toward them and his emotional stability to handle the job."

Haley has targeted both Biden and Trump over their age, Politico reports, though it apparently hasn't swayed GOP primary voters: The poll found that 80% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters want Trump to win the nomination. The Quinnipiac pollsters also asked about foreign policy. Some 56% supported sending more military aid to Ukraine, with Democrats more likely to be in favor, and 44% supported more aid for Israel, with Republicans more likely to be in favor. Trump recently said he wouldn't protect NATO allies who didn't meet spending targets and would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell they want." Some 71% of those polled, including 39% of Republicans, said that was a bad idea. (More Election 2024 stories.)