Biden is in deep trouble.
A significant portion of American voters have concerns about President Biden’s performance in the forthcoming presidential debates. According to a recent JL Partners poll, half of the voters believe that Biden may forget his location during these crucial debates, and more than a third anticipate that he might inadvertently wander offstage.
The poll reveals that 70% of respondents expect the 81-year-old president, who is known for his verbal slip-ups, to make mistakes during the televised debates. Additionally, 40% of those surveyed doubt Biden’s physical stamina, predicting that he may struggle to stand for the duration of the event.
The poll suggests that former President Donald Trump, Biden’s debate opponent, is favored to win. An overwhelming 90% of Republican voters are confident in Trump’s debate performance.
One of the most striking findings is that 49% of voters expect Biden to lose track of his surroundings, and 41% think he might even head in the wrong direction offstage. When asked to describe their impression of the president in one word, many respondents chose “Old.”
These findings follow an incident at the G7 summit in southern Italy, where Biden appeared to lose focus during a skydiving demonstration. As other world leaders watched the presentation, Biden seemed distracted. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had to guide him back to the group, a moment that was widely circulated in the media.
Andrew Bates, White House senior deputy press secretary, defended Biden, suggesting that the widely shared clip was misleading. Bates explained that Biden was congratulating one of the skydivers and giving a thumbs up.
Biden’s aides have acknowledged that the president, who would be 86 at the end of a potential second term, occasionally loses focus in private conversations as well as in public settings.
The upcoming debate, set to take place in Atlanta, marks the first direct encounter between Biden and Trump in the 2024 election campaign.
