The majority of Democrats are not on board with a second term from President Biden, according to a new poll that reveals Democrats voters are not confident in his ability to lead as he weighs a re-election bid.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that only 37% of likely-Democratic voters think that Biden should run for president again in the 2024 cycle, a dramatic decline from the 52% who thought he should seek re-election just a few months ago.
The poll also found that the president’s approval rating has been on a steady decline following the 2022 midterm elections. Among Democrats age 45 and over, only 49% think Biden should run for president in 2024, dropping nearly 10 percentage points from an October poll that found 58% approved of his presidency.
As Biden remains the oldest sitting president at 80 years old, only 23% of Democrats under age 45 think he should run for re-election, dropping over 20 points since a pre-midterms poll that found 45% wanted him to seek another term, as he would be 86 if he serves a full eight years as president.
Already the oldest president in U.S. history, Biden has been dogged by questions about his age as he would be 86 if he serves a full eight years as president.
The president’s national support remains underwater, with only 22% of overall voters thinking Biden should run again. Biden has not yet announced if he will seek re-election in 2024, but has alluded to the idea for several months.
The poll found that only 13% of Americans have a lot of faith in Biden’s ability to achieve policy goals.
When Biden first took office, 44% of voters responded to having “a great deal” of confidence in his ability to lead the nation. The January poll found that two years in, only 23% are happy with his presidency.
Voters like Ross Truckey, 35, have been watching the president carefully. A lawyer in Michigan, feels as though Biden has been the latest in a string of “subpar” Democratic presidents.
“His age and possibly his mental acuity is not where I would want the leader of the country to be,” Truckey said. “He, at times, appears to be an old man who is past his prime. Sometimes I feel a little bit of pity for the guy being pushed out in front of crowds.”
“I, honestly, think that he would be too old,” said Sarah Overman, 37, a Democrat who works in education in Raleigh, North Carolina. “We could use someone younger in the office.”
John Rodriguez, 76, believes that Biden is merely doing the bidding of his aides.
“I believe he’s not the one who’s calling the shots,” said Rodriguez, who lives in Cutler Bay, Florida. “He’s a puppet being told where to go, what to say.”
Biden remains defiant that democrats are in support of his re-election.