Biden Faces Resignation Pressure After Debate Defeat... 72% of Americans Say "Should Not Run for President"

CBS·YouGov Poll Conducted
72% of Respondents Say "Biden Lacks the Mental and Cognitive Ability to Serve as President"

In the first TV debate ahead of the U.S. presidential election this November, President Joe Biden suffered a crushing defeat, leading to a survey showing that 7 out of 10 Americans believe President Biden should withdraw from the presidential race. As concerns about a potential loss in the general election mount within the progressive camp, calls for Biden's withdrawal are flooding in, and the controversy over replacing the candidate is unlikely to subside before the Democratic National Convention in August.

According to a poll conducted by CBS News and the polling firm YouGov on the 28th and 29th, immediately following the presidential TV debate on the 27th, among 1,130 registered voters, 72% responded that President Biden should not run for re-election (margin of error ±4.2 percentage points). Only 28% said Biden should run for president.

In a survey conducted in February, 63% said Biden should not run for president, while 37% said he should.

Among Democratic Party members, 55% supported Biden’s candidacy, which was higher than the 45% who opposed it. However, compared to the February survey where 64% supported and 36% opposed his candidacy, opposition to his run has significantly increased.

Regarding reasons for opposing Biden’s candidacy, 86% of respondents cited his advanced age (multiple responses allowed). This was followed by concerns about his decision-making ability (71%), his performance as president (66%), and his ability to conduct an effective campaign (59%).

When asked whether President Biden has the mental health and cognitive ability to perform presidential duties, 72% of respondents answered "No." This is a 7 percentage point increase from 65% on the 9th of last month. Conversely, those who believed Biden has the necessary mental health and cognitive ability to serve as president dropped by 8 percentage points from 35% earlier last month to 27% in the current survey.

In contrast, when asked whether former President Trump has the healthy mental and cognitive abilities to perform presidential duties, 50% of respondents said "Yes," nearly double Biden’s 27%. Those who answered "No" were 49%.

Other polls also showed high public support for Biden’s withdrawal. A survey conducted by Morning Consult among 2,068 voters after the presidential TV debate found that 60% of respondents believed Biden should be replaced as the candidate.

Earlier, in the first presidential TV debate, President Biden highlighted his age-related risks by stuttering and staring into space, unlike former President Trump, sparking calls for candidate replacement within the progressive camp. Although Biden dismissed withdrawal demands at a fundraising event in New York, the controversy over replacing the candidate is unlikely to die down easily. Potential Democratic replacements for Biden include Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.