This week, the social media sphere buzzed with chatter surrounding a video featuring President Joe Biden, with some commenters going so far as to label it “elder abuse.” During a task force meeting dedicated to lowering costs for American families, Biden, at 81, performed a sequence of actions that left many scratching their heads.
The President lifted the microphone off its stand, gave it a peculiar sigh, placed it back down, and then proceeded to stare forward, his mouth slightly open, apparently disregarding the reporter’s remaining attempts to ask another query before withdrawal.
Earlier that same day, Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary, found herself engaging in a defensive exchange with a journalist who questioned the President’s regular reliance on note cards during public statements. Jean-Pierre swiftly sprung to Biden’s defense, despite the fact the reporter hadn’t even hinted whether this reliance illustrated any mental health decline. The question raised eyebrows and ignited further discussion.
Challenged about the President’s note cards, Jean-Pierre retorted, ‘Why does it matter that the President uses note cards? You question it because he’s well-prepared? He appears to have accomplished more in his first three years than most modern-day Presidents, indeed, more than many two-term President’s achieved.’ This deflective response raised more questions than answers while not directly addressing the reporter’s inquiry.
He’s not well, and Dr. Jill should be ashamed. https://t.co/ur7ZG0vmF8
— Jay Miller (@jaystarrm) March 6, 2024
Continuing her defense, Jean-Pierre added, ‘What’s truly key here, and what the American people are most interested in, is the impact that this President is making for them. That’s his focus. That’s what is most important.’ The question about note cards, however, lingered and added to the ongoing discussion about Biden’s mental fitness, a topic hotly debated since his inauguration and now increasing in intensity as election season approaches.
For Biden, this discussion coincides with a concerning drop in approval ratings, according to a recently released NBC News survey. The poll suggests that Biden’s approval rating has hit an all-time low at 37 percent, a statistic one Democratic pollster described as “damning” and an indicator of a “presidency in peril.” Such negativity could significantly impact Biden’s campaign as he launches his re-election bid.
The poll’s detailed results, as quoted by Newsmax are more disquieting. Not only does the survey suggest that former President Donald Trump is ahead of Biden by five points (47%-42%), but Trump leads Biden in several other areas: mental and physical health for the presidency (23 points), economy (22 points), crime and violence (21 points), competency and effectiveness (16 points), and improving America’s stature globally (11 points). His lead is most striking when it comes to securing the southern border, where he leads Biden by 35 points.
Interestingly, the issue of managing illegal immigration has emerged as the number one concern for most GOP primary voters, as stated in the report. Democrats too are beginning to express their disapproval with the current administration’s border enforcement policies as more and more migrants pour into major cities.
Democratic pollster, Jeff Horwitt from Hart Research Associates, offered his view on the subject, ‘What’s most alarming is the decline in Biden’s standing versus Trump compared to four years ago. On every comparison with 2020, Biden appears weaker.’
Horwitt continued, ‘The belief that Biden is more suitable for the job – a key argument during his candidacy – has faded. This steep fall is the most damning trend we’ve seen.’ Despite these troubling statistics favoring Trump and posing a ‘difficult’ situation for Biden, Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies shared a more positive perspective.
McInturff said, ‘It would be challenging to envisage a tougher set of numbers ahead of a re-election.’ McInturff told NBC News, ‘However, with 73% of registered voters expressing the belief that the U.S. is off track currently, the silver lining for Biden and Howitt is there is still ample time to turn these numbers around.’
Howitt echoed similar optimism, ‘Biden can take comfort in the fact that it is January, and not October 2024. At this stage in previous cycles, attitudes can change.’ For Biden’s supporters, this is a glimmer of hope – the possibility of a turnaround.
However, such positivity may well be predicated on the outcome of the four indictments currently facing Trump. Under a scenario where Trump gets convicted of a felony, Biden is shown to carry a two-point lead over Trump – a slender victory, though still within the statistical margin of error, thus indicating a highly competitive race.
In the past several months, pollsters have noted a steady increase in Trump’s support on various issues such as border control, economy, crime, and violence. Trump’s leadership quotient on these issues has seen a noticeable growth – border control (19 point increase), economy (15 points), crime and violence (25 points), competency and effectiveness (25 points), and health fitness for presidency (24 points).
In October 2020, ailing from COVID-19, Trump was one point behind Biden on the mental and physical health for presidency metric. Fast forward to 2024 and Trump, fully-recovered, now has a significant 23-point lead over Biden.
The latest survey further indicates that Biden is not faring well amongst younger constituents who typically ideologically lean towards the Democrats. This population represents a vast, influential group and the current trend is certainly an area for concern for the present administration.
Navigating the electoral landscape, filled with numerous discussions and debates over mental fitness, policy implementation, and leadership effectiveness, only time will tell how this ongoing narrative will ultimately shape future political contests and, with it, the course of the nation.
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