Post-Debate Polls Spell A Disaster For Biden As Democrats Demand He Drop Out

On Wednesday, the Biden campaign received disastrous news after The New York Times/Siena College and The Wall Street Journal released polls showing Biden struggling to compete with presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump after the president's debate performance last week. The two polls are the latest sign of the president's flailing campaign as he attempts to convince both the public and his fellow Democrats that he is up for another four years in office.

The New York Times/Siena College poll, taken from June 28 to July 2 with 1,532 registered voters, shows President Biden down by six points nationally against Trump. Among likely voters, the Trump campaign enjoys the support of 49 percent of the electorate compared to Biden's 43 percent. Among registered voters, the 45th president has the support of 49 percent compared to the 81-year-old Democrat incumbent's support of only 41 percent, an eight-point difference.

In a five-way matchup with independent and third-party candidates included, President Trump maintains a five-point lead with 42 percent support compared to Biden's 37 percent, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s eight percent, Green Party candidate Jill Stein's two percent, Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver's one percent, and independent candidate Cornel West's zero percent.

The New York Times survey also revealed that a large majority of voters believe that Joe Biden is too old to be an effective president. Among the respondents, 74 percent said that Biden was too old, while a stunning 59 percent of Democrats said they were concerned about Biden's age, up eight points from before the debate. An additional 79 percent of independent voters, a key voting bloc that will determine who wins the presidency in November, said that the 81-year-old president was too old to serve another four years.

A survey from the Wall Street Journal, taken from June 29 to July 2 with 1,500 registered voters, found that Trump is leading Biden by six points with 48 percent support compared to the incumbent's 42 percent. The poll also found that a record-low 34 percent of voters approve of the president's job performance, while 63 percent view him unfavorably. Among respondents, less than 40 percent believed that Biden was doing a good job handling inflation, immigration, or the economy, some of the top priorities for voters heading into November.

Over two-thirds of Democrats, 76 percent, believe that Biden is too old to run for a second term, and a majority of voters from the president's party would be in favor of replacing Biden at the top of the ticket. When asked about Biden's debate performance, voters labeled the president's showing as "abysmal," "embarrassing," or "confused." Given these reactions, it is no wonder why some Democrats are coming out to demand the president withdraw from the race and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to take over. Despite these calls, Biden told campaign staff that he will remain in the race.

"The past few days have been tough. I'm sure you're getting a lot of calls...Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can — as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running," Biden said. "I'm the nominee of the Democratic Party. No one's pushing me out. I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end, and we're going to win."

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