Things aren’t looking good for both of them.
According to recent findings from a survey conducted by ABC News/Ipsos among 528 U.S. adults between February 9 and 10, a notable majority of Americans have expressed concerns about the age of the two primary contenders for the 2024 presidential election: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The survey indicates that 59% of respondents feel that both Biden, aged 81, and Trump, aged 77, are deemed “too old” to effectively fulfill the duties of the presidency. Further analysis reveals that 27% of participants believe Biden alone is too advanced in age for another term, while only 3% hold the same concern for Trump.
Interestingly, 11% of those surveyed do not consider either Biden or Trump to be too old for the presidency. It’s important to note that the survey’s margin of error stands at +/-4.5 percentage points.
Breaking down the responses by political affiliation, the data reveals some stark differences. While 62% of Republicans express the belief that only Biden is too old for the job, they seem less concerned about Trump’s age affecting his ability to lead. On the contrary, the majority of Democrats (69%) and independents (70%) share the view that both candidates are too old for the role.
These findings come amidst the continued dominance of Biden and Trump as the frontrunners for their respective party nominations in the upcoming election. Recent polling averages from RealClearPolitics reflect strong support for both candidates within their party bases.
In the Republican primaries, Trump maintains a commanding lead with 74.4% support, surpassing his closest competitor, Nikki Haley, who holds 17.9% support. On the Democratic side, Biden enjoys a similarly strong position with 72.3% support, while his challengers, such as Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson, lag significantly behind.
Overall, the survey underscores widespread concerns regarding the age of the leading presidential candidates, despite their continued popularity among their respective party bases.
