President Joe Biden’s net approval rating fell by more than four points during the first half of 2023, and the news has just gotten worse for him since.
According to a survey conducted by Echelon Insights, an astonishing one-third of respondents expressed their intention to back a different candidate in a Democratic primary leading up to the 2024 election, rather than supporting Biden.
The survey found that 60 percent said they would “definitely” or “probably” back Biden in a Democratic presidential primary if the vote took place today, while another 33 percent they would choose to support a different Democrat, and 7 percent said they were undecided.
“In the same poll, Biden receives more support when the names of two Democratic primary challengers—environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and self-help author Marianne Williamson—are included in a question about who voters would back in a Democratic presidential primary,” Newsweek reported.
Similar findings have been observed in other recent polls, indicating that the Biden administration’s performance has been concerning to the extent that a portion of Democrats are desirous of an alternative candidate for 2024 as Biden falters physically and mentally.
“In April, Biden formally announced he is seeking a second term in the White House, with polling showing he is the firm frontrunner to be the Democrats’ 2024 presidential candidate, potentially setting up a rematch against Donald Trump. Thus Biden’s personal popularity is likely to play a key role in determining who serves as president from January 2025 onwards,” the outlet noted further.
According to a different survey, Vice President Kamala Harris has a significantly low approval rating, while Biden’s job approval is flat as well.
“President Biden’s disapproval rating has ticked up to include a slim majority of voters, according to a poll. In an Emerson College poll released Thursday, 51 percent of respondents said they disapprove of Biden’s performance as president, up 2 percentage points from April. Just 41 percent of voters approved of Biden’s job as president, which is consistent with the April poll,” The Hill reported
“Biden has been fundraising for his reelection campaign in California as part of a travel blitz to raise money ahead of his first 2024 campaign finance report in July. The poll also found that 73 percent of Democratic primary voters would vote for Biden, which is much higher compared to his Democratic primary challengers. Only 15 percent of voters said they would vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and 3 percent would vote for Marianne Williamson,” the outlet added.
Other similar surveys have produced similarly dismal results for the president and his running mate. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll earlier this month found that a majority of registered voters believe Biden is “too old for another term” in office. Almost seven out of 10 voters (68%) admitted that the 80-year-old president’s age is a problem for them.
Even worse, the poll shows more Democrats agree rather with that assessment. Roughly 48% of Democrat voters said Biden’s age is an issue, with just 34% saying the president’s age was not a concern for them.
The New York Post detailed more of the findings: “Eighteen percent of Democrats polled were not sure if Biden was too old for another term. Already the oldest president in US history, Biden would be 86 by the end of his second term if he were to win re-election in 2024. A majority of independents, 71%, also said that age 82 was too old to start a second term as president, which is how old Biden would be on his second Inauguration Day. Biden has not formally declared that he will run for a second term but he has said on several occasions that he intends to seek re-election.”
Meanwhile, his main 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump, has seen his political stock rise the longer Biden’s administration continues with its prosecution over alleged mishandling of classified documents, according to a recent survey.