According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, President Biden’s re-elected voters are expressing increasing concerns about his age, the economy, and crime. These concerns could potentially aid former President Trump’s chances of running for a rematch as the Republican front-runner. Opinion polls indicate that if a hypothetical showdown were to occur between Biden (age 80) and Trump (age 77), both candidates would be statistically tied, with a high approval rating of 39% among respondents and 1 in 5 undecided voters. However, a majority of voters (77% for Biden and 56% for Trump) believe that the candidates are too old to be president. Biden, currently the oldest sitting president, would be 86 years old at the end of his second term, while Trump would be 83. While younger Republican candidates have highlighted the age factor, Trump has dismissed these concerns, stating in an interview with Megyn Kelly on SiriusXM that Biden is “not too old at all.”
Additionally, concerns about the economy pose potential challenges for President Biden, despite the White House’s insistence that the economy is in much better shape compared to three years ago. The administration aims to showcase the president’s economic achievements through “Bidenomics.” However, the Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals that 73% of respondents consider their financial situation to be the same or worse than before the coronavirus pandemic, and only 35% anticipate improvement in their situation next year.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online nationwide from September 8 to Thursday, encompassing the responses of 4,413 U.S. adults. The margin of error is approximately 2 percentage points. (Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)