Voter concerns over Joe Biden‘s fitness for public office have worsened following last Thursday’s presidential debate. A Harvard/Harris survey conducted in the immediate aftermath of the debate shows an over 10-point decline in those who believe Biden can execute his duties as president. Meanwhile, former President Donald J. Trump leads the 81-year-old Democrat with 47 percent to Biden’s 41 percent nationally. With “leaners” included, Trump clears 50 percent of the national vote.
Two-thirds of respondents say they have serious doubts that Biden is mentally fit enough to serve as president, a 12-point increase from the May Harvard/Harris poll. An additional 74 percent of respondents believe Biden is too old to continue serving in office, an increase of 11 points from last month. Among independent voters, 79 percent doubt Biden is fit for office. Additionally, 81 percent of independents say he’s too old to serve as president.
2024 National GE:
Trump 47% (+6)
Biden 41%
.
Trump 43% (+7)
Biden 36%
Kennedy 12%
.
Trump 43% (+8)
Biden 35%
Kennedy 10%
West 2%
Stein 1%.@Harvard/@Harris_X_/@HarrisPoll, 2,090 RV, 6/28-30https://t.co/i2kxN7KuLy
— Political Polls (@Politics_Polls) July 1, 2024
The post-debate survey offers little in the way of good news for Democrats in light of Biden appearing cognitively impaired throughout the nationally televised event. Nearly half of respondents said Trump appeared to better grasp the issues than Biden. Just 32 percent said they see Biden as more electable, compared to 48 percent for Trump.
With just over 100 days until the November election, the data suggests that Trump has largely consolidated his support among the Republican base. Just 16 percent of Republican respondents say they are still weighing their choices. Conversely, nearly 30 percent of Democrats still say they’re unsure about casting a ballot for Joe Biden.
Immigration and inflation continue to dominate voter concerns. The economy overall ranks third in voter concern.