In recent weeks, after several very public signs of age-related issues, 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s physical and mental fitness for the White House have once again become a topic of debate. Is the oldest president ever to serve still fit for office? A plurality of voters say “no,” according to the latest I&I/TIPP Poll.
Overall, more American voters give Biden failing grades than passing ones when it comes to both his mental and physical health, according to the national online June I&I/TIPP Poll, taken from May 29-31, of 1,910 adults. The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.4 percentage points.
Our first question asked: “President Biden is seeking a second term. How would you rate his mental acuity and physical fitness?” Participants were then given several possible answers, with a school-style grade assigned: A (excellent), B (good), C (average), D (poor), and F (unacceptable).
On mental acuity, or sharpness, the poll wasn’t close: For 47% of those who answered the poll, Biden earned either D (16%) or F (31)% grades. Just 33% gave him either A (14%) or B (19%). Another 16% rated him C — just average.
Overall, Biden’s “grade-point average” was 1.66, or roughly a D+ grade on the traditional “A-to-F” grading continuum.
But, not surprisingly, the answers weren’t uniform across all demographic groups.
For instance, Democrats were far more likely to give Biden high passing grades for mental acuity (67%) than failing ones (11%), while just 10% of Republicans gave Biden passing grades and 80% flunked him. Independents also were unimpressed: They delivered 55% D or F grades, versus just 18% high passing grades.
By race, white respondents were generally harsher on Biden than minorities.
Among white voters, 56% rated Biden at D or F, versus 28% who gave him A or B grades. For blacks, the comparable ratings were 19% D or F grades (poor) for Biden, but 46% gave him As or Bs (good). Hispanics split somewhere in the middle, with 40% giving Biden the lowest possible grades, but 41% giving him the highest.
And, in a possible bad omen for Biden in 2024’s presidential vote, Red State (52% poor, vs. 30% good) and Swing State (49% poor, 32% good) voters seem to be in tune, while even Blue State voters (42% poor, 36% good) seem at best ambivalent about Biden’s fitness for a second term.
Assessments of Biden’s physical fitness to stay another four years in the most powerful elected position in the world followed a similar pattern.
Once again, 47% of voters give Biden a D or an F for his physical fitness, while just 28% gave him an A or B. Also again, Republicans (78%) and independents (55%) give failing grades, while Democrats (13%) are far more generous. Some 57% of Dems give Biden top marks, versus just 9% of GOP members and 17% of independents.
Two other questions reflect how voters perceive Biden’s ability to do his job should he win a second term.
The first: “How concerned are you about Biden’s ability to handle national security issues if he is re-elected as president?”
On this question, 62% overall responded either “very concerned” (42%) or “somewhat concerned” (20%), versus 32% answering “not very concerned” (16%) or “not at all concerned (16%).
While partisan differences were evident, as almost always seems the case in polls, it’s notable that while 57% of Democrats described themselves as “not concerned,” 37% — more than a third — described themselves as “concerned.” That compares to 9% “not concerned” to 88% “concerned” for Republicans, and 27% “not concerned” and 65% “concerned” for independents.
Clearly, Americans of all parties have significant worries about Biden handling foreign affairs. Yes, that includes Democrats.
The final question: “In 2020, President Biden claimed that he did not have any involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s business. Based on what you know now, how honest do you believe the President was about his involvement in his son’s business?”
Here again, responses were quite damning for a major national political figure. Among voters, 48% described Biden as either “not very honest” (15%) or “not at all honest” (33%). That compares to just 39% calling Biden either “somewhat honest” (19%) or “very honest” (20%).
No doubt, Biden’s advisers are worried about this.
As the I&I/TIPP Poll clearly demonstrates, a plurality of voters have significant problems with Biden’s physical and mental health, and also show significant doubts about his basic honesty and integrity, in particular with regards to his foreign business dealings with son Hunter Biden.
It may be problematic. Biden’s recent turn at the G7 meeting in Italy left many both in the U.S. and in nations around the world scratching their heads.
Under the headline “Meander In Chief,” the New York Post ran photos of Biden seemingly wandering away from the other G7 leaders, only to be towed back to the group by Italian leader Giorgia Meloni.
In another worrisome sign, he appeared to put his head on the ailing Pope Francis’ head as he spoke with him, a strict no-no that sent tongues wagging about his mental faculties.
This comes after an alarming article in the Wall Street Journal based on interviews with 45 Democrats and Republicans who had met with Biden recently and found him mentally lacking.
The Journal cited a number of recent public miscues on Biden’s part that had raised concerns among voters:
On May 20, during a Rose Garden event celebrating Jewish American Heritage month, Biden said one of the U.S. hostages held in Gaza was a guest at the White House event, before correcting himself. One day earlier, at a campaign event in Detroit, he indicated that he was vice president during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started three years after he left that office. It was one of numerous flubs in the single speech that prompted the White House to make corrections to the official transcript.
In January, he mixed up two of his Hispanic cabinet secretaries, Alejandro Mayorkas and Xavier Becerra. During a February fundraiser in New York, he recounted speaking to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl — who died in 2017 — at the 2021 Group of Seven meeting. That same month, at a different fundraiser, he said that during the 2021 G-7 summit he had spoken to former French President François Mitterrand, who died in 1996.
As for Biden’s ability to handle foreign affairs, which Democrats and Republicans agree, requires a diplomatic deftness and depth of knowledge, Biden’s abilities in that realm have also raised serious questions.
From the disastrous exit from Afghanistan and our involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to Biden’s soft-pedaling of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, to the U.S.’ open-borders immigration policy, to China’s growing military, diplomatic and economic challenges to the U.S., to the weak support for long-time ally Israel following Hamas’ terrorist attack, many Americans are simply fed up with what they see as an enfeebled America on the world stage, as the I&I/TIPP Poll clearly indicates.
Coupled with Biden’s clear trouble in convincing voters he has had little or nothing at all to do with son Hunter Biden’s multimillion-dollar business dealings overseas, and the president may have an uphill battle in gaining a second term.
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.
Our performance in 2020 for accuracy as rated by Washington Post:
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Netanyahu Says Blinken Assured Him U.S. Will Cancel Limits On Weapons Supplies – Reuters
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had assured him that the Biden administration was working to cancel restrictions on arms deliveries to Israel.
Blinken asked at a news conference in Washington about Netanyahu’s remarks, declined to say whether he had given the Israeli leader such assurances but said the U.S. administration was still reviewing one shipment of large bombs for Israel over concerns about their use in densely populated areas.
2. Israel Says Lebanon Offensive Plan ‘Approved’ As Tensions Surge – AFP
“Operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated” as commanders met for a situational assessment, the Israeli army said in a statement.
It came after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened Hezbollah’s destruction in a “total war.” The latest warnings came after Israel announced at the weekend a daily “pause” of military activity in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah to facilitate aid flows, coinciding with the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.
3. MBS Urges International Community To Recognize Independent Palestinian State – Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called on the international community to recognize an independent Palestinian state, emphasizing that this step is crucial for achieving peace.
MBS stressed the importance of implementing recent UN Security Council resolutions, particularly those advocating for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
4. Oil Depots Ablaze In Russia’s Rostov Region – D.W.
A drone attack has set oil storage tanks on fire near the southern town of Azov, Russian officials say.
Ukraine has not yet claimed the attack, but Ukrainian forces have previously carried out several such attacks on Russian energy facilities.
5. Kim Backs Ukraine Invasion As Putin Visits North Korea – BBC
The Russian leader was welcomed in a lavish formal ceremony outside the Grand People’s Study Hall. The spectacle featured singing children and military walks.
Putin thanked North Korea for its “consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction.” Kim Jong Un said their two nations’ relations were “entering a period of new flowering.”
6. Russian Court Sentences U.S. Soldier To Prison For Theft, Threat – Current Time
A court in Russia has convicted and sentenced a U.S. Army sergeant – who reportedly broke military rules to travel to Russia with his Russian girlfriend – to three years and nine months in prison for allegedly attacking and threatening her.
U.S. authorities have said the 32-year-old Gordon Black traveled to Russia via China from South Korea – where he had been assigned before heading back home to Texas – without informing his superiors.
7. Russian Law On ‘Undesirable Organizations’ Violates Rights Convention, European Court Says – RFE/RL
The court held that the law “had not been formulated with sufficient precision to enable the applicant organizations to foresee that their otherwise lawful actions would result in their designation as ‘undesirable’ and a prohibition on their activities in Russia,” a statement said.
Four applicants outside Russia were designated as “undesirable,” while the other applicants were convicted for having been involved with organizations that had received a similar designation.
9. Finland Set To Host New NATO Battle Group – TIPP Insights
Finland is on track to become the ninth country to host a NATO multinational battle group after ministers supported the move in Brussels on Friday.
10. Over 20 NATO Allies To Hit Defense Spending Target
A record 23 of NATO’s 32 member nations will meet the alliance’s defense spending target this year, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.
11. U.S. Approves Sale Of Arms, Drones To Taiwan – D.W.
The U.S. State Department and Pentagon said that the government had approved the sale of various military goods, including drones and related equipment, worth an estimated $360 million to Taiwan.
As such, the deal is not unusual, but China is, nevertheless, likely to frown on the potential sale of U.S. weapons.
12. Chinese Shadow Bankers Helped Mexican Cartel Launder Drug Money, U.S. Says – Al Jazeera
Prosecutors in the United States have charged two dozen people over an alleged money laundering scheme involving Chinese shadow bankers and Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel.
Chinese underground money exchanges helped the cartel launder $50m in drug trafficking proceeds generated from the import of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine between 2019 and 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement.
13. U.S. Lawmakers Meet With Dalai Lama In India’s Dharamshala, Sparking Anger From China – A.P.
A bipartisan United States congressional delegation, led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in India’s Dharamshala.
The delegation said the focus of their visit was to underscore the Resolve Tibet Act, passed by the U.S. Congress last week. The act aims to encourage dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials in the hopes of finding a peaceful resolution between Tibet and Beijing.
China views the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a dangerous separatist.
14. China Fears Spark Indian Race For Cobalt In Contested Ocean Waters – Al Jazeera
India is scrambling to secure rights from the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority to explore a cobalt-rich underwater mountain in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
However, its bid has been challenged by competing claims from Sri Lanka, which wants to mine the region for precious minerals.
Indian officials and analysts said that the urgency behind India’s application comes from fears over China’s presence in the Indian Ocean when China already dominates the global cobalt supply chain.
15. UNESCO Warns AI Could Fuel Holocaust Denial, Anti-Semitism – UPI
Calling for the implementation of a set of ethical principles adopted by all 193 U.N.-member countries in 2021 to be expedited, UNESCO warned that AI’s tendency to “absorb and amplify society’s biases data” was an issue when it came to the Holocaust due to the prevalence of disinformation about it.
The new technology could also unwittingly be a source of made-up or misleading content about the Holocaust, the U.N. body responsible for promoting world peace through cultural exchange said in a report.
16. Problem Marijuana Use Increasing Among Seniors – HealthDay News
As marijuana use becomes legal and more accepted across America, more seniors are developing unhealthy relationships with the drug, a new report suggests.
The numbers showed a steady increase in cannabis-linked medical care among seniors over the five years of the study. Rates of cannabis-linked claims were slightly lower in states where medical marijuana was legal but recreational use was not (41.5 cases per 10,000).
17. Colorado E-Cigarette Maker Ordered To Stop Selling Unauthorized Vaping Products – UPI Health
According to the complaint, Boosted LLC, also known as Boosted E-Juice, violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by delivering adulterated and misbranded tobacco products across state lines. At the same time, the defendants continued to sell their flavored e-liquid products online despite repeated warnings.
Boosted’s unauthorized vaping product ban is the first enforcement since the Justice Department and the FDA created a federal multi-agency task force to stop the illegal sale of e-cigarettes.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
