Trump leads Biden in seven swing states as more than 80% say president, 81, is ‘too old’: poll
Former President Donald Trump is leading President Biden in seven key battleground states — as more than 80% of registered voters in those states think the 81-year-old incumbent is “too old” for office, a new poll has found.
Trump, 77, is besting Biden among registered voters in Arizona (49%-43%), Georgia (49%-43%), Michigan (46%-44%), Nevada (48%-42%), North Carolina (50%-41%), Pennsylvania (49%-43%) and Wisconsin (46%-42%), according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult swing-state voter survey published Thursday.
Across the seven states, Trump leads Biden by five percentage points, 48% to 43%.
The 45th president still beats out Biden in a five-way ballot test, with Trump getting 43% support and Biden receiving 37% of the vote. Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the top third-party candidate, getting 9% of the vote, while fellow independent Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein got 1% each.
When asked to describe the two major-party candidates, 82% of respondents said either Biden alone or “both candidates” were too old for office. By contrast, just 47% said either Trump alone or “both candidates” had aged out of the presidency.
By contrast, 59% of respondents described Trump alone or “both candidates” as “dangerous” for the country, while 48% answered Biden alone or “both candidates” to the question.
Fewer than half of registered voters (43%) described Trump as “mentally fit,” but barely a quarter (26%) said the same of Biden.
A slightly higher percentage (45%) said Trump was “in good health,” while just 19% said the same of Biden — though 30% said “neither” man fit that description.
If Biden were unable to carry out his duties, 53% of swing state voters said they would trust Vice President Kamala Harris “not much” or “not at all” to fill his shoes.
The White House has refused to allow Biden to undergo a baseline mental acuity exam, despite concerns from voters, arguing Biden passes the test just by navigating the complexities of his job.
“I think folks need to understand that the president passes, again, a cognitive test every day,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday after Biden completed his annual physical. “And he is able to do the work every day that is rigorous — that is more rigorous than it would be for any 15-minute clinical appointment.”
The poll found the economy to be the No. 1 issue in the general election, with 82% of respondents saying they think it’s “very important” and 15% deeming it “somewhat important.”
More than one-third of respondents (35%) said the economy would be the top issue considered when casting their vote in November.
The poll of 4,955 voters was conducted Feb. 12-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1%.
