With the stunning report by the Justice Department suggesting that President Joe Biden is not mentally fit enough to face charges for mishandling state secrets, it’s now become an open question: Does that mean Biden isn’t mentally fit to be president? Americans are overwhelmingly worried that the answer is no, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows.
Mere days before the release of a blockbuster government report that indicated Biden’s age-related mental decline is real and not just a partisan talking point, the I&I/TIPP Poll asked American voters: “President Biden is seeking a second term. How would you rate his mental acuity?”
A 51% majority responded that they would rate Biden’s mental sharpness either “poor” (18%) or “unacceptable” (33%), versus a minority of 29% who answered that his mental abilities warranted either an “excellent” (13%) or “good” (16%) grade.
Translated into the familiar A, B, C, D and F grades used by American public schools, a majority give Biden either failing (“F”) grades or near-failing (“D”) grades.
The national online poll was conducted from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, just days before the Justice Department’s Feb. 5 report, and included 1,266 respondents. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.
But once again, when it comes to politics, it’s a “Republicans are from Mars, Democrats are from Venus” difference in the responses: Just 19% of Dems give Biden either “poor” (11%) or “unacceptable” (8%) marks for his mental acuity, compared to the 82% of GOP members that called Biden’s mental clarity “poor” (21%) or “unacceptable” (61%).
Independents, as often is the case, lay somewhere in the middle of the two parties, with 55% of indie voters giving Biden poor (23%) or unacceptable (32%) scores for his mental sharpness.
In a follow-on question, poll respondents were asked also about Biden’s physical health, after a series of falls and stumbles during his term, which have many Americans wondering whether Biden’s overall health is failing as well.
As with the first question, for continuity registered voters were asked: “President Biden is seeking a second term. How would you rate his physical fitness?”
Again, the response wasn’t favorable for Biden. Among all voters, 47% termed Biden’s physical health either poor (21%) or unacceptable (26%), while only 28% called his health either excellent (10%) or good (18%).
Among Dems, 49% gave Biden high passing grades for overall health, while 17% gave him failing or poor grades. For Republicans, just 8% gave Biden the best health grades, while 76% put him in the near-failing or failing category. Independents doled out 23% high grades vs. 50% low grades.
One further question was asked, out of historical interest given growing concerns about Biden’s ability to conduct the duties of his office.
Noting the precedents of former presidents Harry S. Truman and Lyndon Johnson both dropping out of the running in March of their reelection year campaigns, I&I/TIPP asked voters: “In your opinion, how likely is it that President Joe Biden will drop out in March of 2024?”
Just 28% of those responding answered either “very likely” (11%) or “somewhat likely” (17%). Another 62% said it was either “not very likely” (35%) or “not at all likely” (27%), with 11% saying they were not sure.
I&I/TIPP also asked Democrats this: “If President Biden decides not to run in 2024, who will be your top choice for the Democratic candidate?”
Here, there’s no clear, winner.
Vice President Kamala Harris tops the list with 20% support, followed by former First Lady Michelle Obama (16%), Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (12%), California Gov. Gavin Newsom (10%), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (8%), Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (6%), Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (5%), Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (3%), and Williamson, at just 2%.
“Someone else” gets 4% of Democrats, while “not sure” stands at 13%.
It’s important to note that the poll was taken just days before last week’s report by leading Special Counsel Robert Hur that Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen.”
But, Hur went on to call Biden a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” and suggested his interviews with Biden suggested his “memory was significantly limited.”
As a result, Hur said he would not try Biden on charges for mishandling an estimated 300 classified documents because his declining mental abilities would make him very difficult to convict. But his remarks made clear that Biden’s ability to remember even significant events was limited.
In his interview with our office, Mr. Biden’s memory was worse. He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended (‘if it was 2013 – when did I stop being Vice President?’), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began (‘in 2009, am I still Vice President?’). He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him. Among other things, he mistakenly said he ‘had a real difference’ of opinion with General Karl Eikenberry, when, in fact, Eikenberry was an ally whom Mr. Biden cited approvingly in his Thanksgiving memo to President Obama.
In a late Thursday night press conference addressing the report, Biden aggressively defended his mental acuity. “My memory is fine,” Biden said in televised comments. “Take a look at what I’ve done since I’ve become president.”
Minutes later, however, Biden made a major gaffe, mistakenly identifying Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as Mexico’s president.
In remarks earlier this month, Biden made some other worrisome mistakes in identifying leaders of other nations.
In describing a G7 summit meeting in 2021, Biden claimed that German Chancellor Helmut Kohl spoke to him about the Jan. 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol. The only problem: Kohl left office in 1998, and died in 2017. Angela Merkel was chancellor in 2021.
Referencing the same G7 meeting, Biden said: “It was in south of England and I sat down and I said: ‘America’s back,” Biden said. “And Mitterrand from Germany, I mean from France, looked at me and said: ‘You know, how long you back for’?”
Again, Mitterrand held office from 1981 to 1995, and died in 1996. Emmanuel Macron has been French president since 2017.
Such repeated verbal mistakes are not a good sign, as even some Democrats quietly agree.
“Fair or not, you can’t unring the bell,” said David Axelrod, President Barack Obama’s former top strategist, noting that the question of Biden’s mental issues “goes to the core of what is plaguing Biden politically now, which is a widespread fear that he’s not up to it.”
Will Biden quietly bow out, yielding the presidency to his unpopular No. 2, Vice President Kamala Harris?
Will Biden’s cabinet invoke the 25th amendment, which allows for the removal of a president in the event of diminished mental capacity?
Or will Biden be nudged out this summer at the Democratic Convention by top party officials fearing a massive defeat in 2024?
And, finally, if Biden prevails in remaining in office and is judged mentally fit enough to be president, does that mean he should then be tried for the crimes the DOJ suggested he likely committed in mishandling classified documents while out of office?
However it ends up, Biden’s light has dimmed considerably with the DOJ report. For now, it seems highly unlikely that the status quo in the White House can be maintained without major political fallout.
I&I/TIPP publishes timely, unique, and informative data each month on topics of public interest. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past five presidential elections.
Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. His four decades of journalism experience include serving as national issues editor, economics editor, and editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily.
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Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Hamas Heads To Egypt’s Cairo For Truce Talks As Rafah Braces For Israeli Assault – AFP
A Hamas source said a delegation was headed to the Egyptian capital to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators after Israeli negotiators talked with the mediators on Tuesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war, was also due in Cairo for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Mediators are racing to secure a pause to the fighting before Israel proceeds with a full-scale ground incursion into the Gaza Strip’s city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped.
2. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Urges Hamas To Agree Gaza Deal ‘Quickly’ – AFP
“We call on the Hamas movement to quickly complete a prisoner deal, to spare our Palestinian people from the calamity of another catastrophic event with dire consequences, no less dangerous than the Nakba of 1948,” Abbas said.
The president was referring to the war accompanying the creation of Israel, which saw 760,000 Palestinians flee or be forced from their homes.
Abbas’s internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has not been involved in this week’s talks hosted by Egypt, aimed at securing a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
3. Australia, Canada, NZ Call For ‘Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire’ In Gaza – Al Jazeera
The prime ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have issued a joint statement saying a “humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed” in Gaza and that they are “gravely concerned” about looming Israeli military operations in Rafah.
The statement – cosigned by Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese, Justin Trudeau, and Christopher Luxon – also said Israel “must listen to its friends and the international community” and that civilians cannot be made to “pay the price of defeating Hamas,” leaders of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada say.
4. Ukraine Says It Sank Russian Large Landing Warship In Black Sea – Reuters
Ukraine destroyed a Russian landing warship off the coast of occupied Crimea in an operation with naval drones that caused it to sink, Kyiv’s military spy agency and armed forces said.
There was no immediate comment from Russia, which said earlier that it had destroyed six drones in the Black Sea. The Kremlin declined to comment.
Newly developed naval drones have been vital for Ukraine as it tries to narrow the vast gap in its naval capabilities with Russia.
5. Putin Says Russia Prefers More “Predictable” Biden Over Trump – AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin described U.S. counterpart Joe Biden as more “predictable” than Donald Trump but said the Kremlin was prepared to work with whoever wins November’s election.
Asked by a journalist who Russia would like to see win in the likely contest between the Democratic incumbent and Republican frontrunner Trump, Putin said: “Biden, he’s more experienced. He’s predictable; he’s an old-school politician.”
6. U.S.’s New Intel Report Warns Of Anti-Satellite Russian Nuke In Space – WION
The U.S. has intelligence of Russian nuclear capabilities in space, which could threaten satellites, a report in the New York Times has claimed.
The intel has been briefed to Congress and key U.S. allies, with some lawmakers demanding that President Joe Biden’s administration declassify the information.
Citing unnamed sources, the report claimed that Russia’s potential deployment of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space could knock out U.S. military communications and reconnaissance capabilities from above.
7. Russian Forces Getting More Access To Starlink Satellite Internet – REF/RL
Russian troops in Ukraine increasingly have access to Starlink, the private satellite Internet network owned by Elon Musk that Ukraine’s military relies on heavily for battlefield communications.
The findings corroborate earlier statements from Ukrainian military officials, underscoring how Kyiv’s ability to secure its command communications is potentially threatened. Ukraine’s military intelligence service, known as HUR, said Russian forces were not only using Starlink terminals but also doing it in a “systemic” way.
8. Russians Living In Bosnia Will Be Able To Vote In Presidential Elections Next Month – RFE/RL
The Balkan country’s Council of Ministers said that Russian citizens living in Bosnia-Herzegovina will be able to vote in the Russian presidential election next month.
The council granted consent for voting at two polling stations following a request by the Russian Embassy in Sarajevo.
9. ‘I Hope That Soon’: Putin Claims Russia Close To Creating Cancer Vaccines – WION
Russian President Vladimir Putin said scientists in his country were on the precipice of creating vaccines to cure cancer that could soon be available to patients.
At a Moscow forum on future technologies, Putin made the remarkable claim that it may revolutionize the medical field. Putin said in the televised address:
We have come very close to the creation of so-called cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation
10. EU Proposes Curbs On Indian, Chinese Firms For Aiding Russia: Report – Bloomberg
The European Union has proposed new trade restrictions on about two dozen firms, including three based in China, accused of supporting Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
If adopted, it would be the first time the EU has imposed restrictions on companies in mainland China since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The list includes firms in Hong Kong, Serbia, India, and Turkey, some of which are also targeted for the first time, according to a draft of the proposal seen by Bloomberg.
11. Putin Surprised By Lack Of ‘Sharp Questions’ During Tucker Carlson Interview – WION
Days after giving an interview with television host Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was grateful for the opportunity but, at the same time, surprised by the lack of “sharp questions” from the former Fox News host.
Speaking to a Russian journalist, Putin said he wanted Carlson to be aggressive in his behavior as it would have allowed him to reply just as pointedly.
12. Navalny Again Placed In Punitive Solitary Confinement By Russian Prison – RFE/RL
The press secretary of imprisoned Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny said that the outspoken Kremlin critic was again placed in a punitive solitary confinement cell for unspecified reasons.
The most recent confinement comes just three days after he served a previous 10-day solitary confinement term. It is the 27th time Navalny has been placed in punitive solitary confinement since his incarceration more than three years ago.
13. U.S. Lawmaker, Arch Critic Of China, To Visit Taiwan: Report – RFA
Rep. Mike Gallagher, chair of the House Select Committee on China, will lead U.S. lawmakers on a trip to Taiwan next week, a report says.
The trip is “a show of support for Lai Ching-te ahead of his May inauguration as president of Taiwan,” it says.
The Wisconsin Republican’s trip is likely to draw an angry response from Beijing, which in August 2022 cut off military-to-military communications after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.
14. China’s New Microwave Weapon Made To Zap Taiwan – Asia Times
In what may be the first of its kind, Chinese scientists have unveiled a new Stirling engine-powered high-power microwave (HPM) weapon, marking a significant leap in directed-energy warfare technology with possible applications in future urban warfare scenarios.
In a May 2023 article for Military + Aerospace Electronics, Jim Romeo mentions that HPMs can destroy computers, electronics, and sensors without harming human life, which is well-suited for urban warfare scenarios requiring low collateral damage.
15. China’s Looming Teacher Crisis – Semafor
As China experiences a population decline, officials predict the country to have a 1.9 million-teacher surplus by 2035, the South China Morning Post reported.
What was once considered an “iron rice bowl” career — an industry that could guarantee jobs in China’s shaky economy — is now facing job losses. In addition, budget cuts and a national curriculum model mean teachers face more pressure than ever.
16. Australia Approves Motion Urging Britain To Return Julian Assange – UPI
Australia’s prime minister and federal members of Parliament approved a motion to return Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to Australia.
MP Andrew Wilkie introduced the motion arguing that Assange should be freed from a British prison where he has spent nearly five years and returned to Australia as Britain’s High Court will hear Assange’s appeal next week against his extradition to the United States on espionage charges.
Assange’s Wikileaks published classified U.S. diplomatic cables provided by former U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning in 2010.
17. Two Explosions Rock Iranian Gas Pipelines, Disrupt Supplies – RFE/RL
Two explosions at gas pipelines have disrupted gas supplies to offices and industries across three provinces in Iran.
Authorities said they are treating the explosions as sabotage, with initial investigations pointing toward deliberate attacks on the gas pipeline infrastructure. No group has claimed responsibility for the incidents.
18. Shipping rates show signs of easing despite Red Sea disruption – Nikkei Asia
While most container ships are making detours around the conflict-affected Red Sea, experts say container freight rates, which had initially soared, are showing signs of easing.
The higher spot rates container ships have been charging to carry goods between Asia, and Europe is beginning to look like a blip. Modest demand and an oversupply of vessels push down prices.
19. Satellite Images Show North Korea Could Restart Cross-Border Tourism Soon – RFA
An expert said that satellite photos show nighttime activity in two North Korean cities near the Chinese border, indicating that the reclusive country may be preparing to welcome cross-border tourists and boost trade.
The light was also detected in the Samjiyon tourist zone, a major government project that was supposed to be a tourism cash cow upon its completion in December 2019 but has been unable to live up to expectations due to the pandemic that started one month later.
20. Japan Unexpectedly Slips Into A Recession – BBC
The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by a worse-than-expected 0.4% in the last three months of 2023 compared to a year earlier. It came after the economy shrank by 3.3% in the previous quarter.
The figures from Japan’s Cabinet Office also indicate that the country has lost its position as the world’s third-largest economy to Germany. The latest figures were the first reading of Japan’s economic growth for the period and could still be revised.
21. Forget Apples… Now A KIWI A Day Keeps The Doctor Away! Eating The Fruit Can Significantly Boost Your Mental Health In Just Four Days, Study Finds – Dailymail
A study has revealed that eating kiwi fruit can lift you out of a low mood within just four days.
The green soft fruit has a high vitamin C content, which has long been known to improve well-being.
But now researchers believe the fruit gives us a faster and longer-lasting boost than vitamin C supplements.
The results, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that kiwi fruits improved vitality and mood within four days, with the effect of the boost peaking at around 14-16 days. Vitamin C supplements, on the other hand, marginally improved mood until day 12.
Lead author Dr Ben Fletcher added:
This helps us see that what we eat can have a relatively fast impact on how we feel.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
