A significant majority of Americans believe President Joe Biden should drop out of the presidential race, according to a new poll. The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, published on Thursday, shows that two-thirds of Americans, including a majority of Biden supporters, think the Democratic candidate should step aside.
The poll, conducted two weeks after a challenging debate performance, found that 67 percent of voters overall think Biden should withdraw from the race. This sentiment is shared by 62 percent of Democrats or Democratic-leaning voters. Even among those who describe themselves as Biden supporters, 54% believe he should no longer be the party’s nominee.
The poll also shows Biden running neck-and-neck with his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. Both candidates are virtually tied, with Trump attaining 47 percent support and Biden receiving 46 percent, within a margin of error of 2 points. These numbers are similar to data published in April, indicating that the post-debate fallout hasn’t significantly impacted Biden’s chances for reelection.
Biden’s approval rating remains low but stable, with 36 percent of Americans approving of his job performance as president, compared to 35 percent in April. Meanwhile, 57 percent disapprove of his job performance, the same percentage as in previous months.
The recent debate performance has had a noticeable impact on voters’ perceptions of Biden. Only 7 percent of voters said they viewed Biden more favorably after the debate, while 50 percent said they viewed him less favorably. In contrast, 27 percent of voters said they viewed Trump more favorably following the debate, with 22 percent viewing him less favorably.
If Biden were to drop out, Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as a likely replacement. In a hypothetical match-up, the poll found that Harris outperformed Trump, with 49 percent of the vote compared to Trump’s 46 percent. This suggests that Harris could be a strong contender if Biden decides to step aside.
Several prominent Democratic leaders have begun to express their concerns about Biden’s candidacy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has reportedly been promoting Biden in public while indicating openness to replacing him behind closed doors. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also been ambiguous in her support for Biden when questioned by reporters.
On Wednesday, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) became the first Democrat in the Senate to openly call for Biden to drop out. In an op-ed in The Washington Post, Welch wrote, “We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night. I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not. For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
In response to the mounting debate over Biden’s candidacy, longtime supporters of the president have announced a “mega-poll” designed to let voters have a say in the method for selecting the Democratic nominee for the presidency. The poll, conducted by Emerson College and sponsored by Democrats for the Next Generation (DemNextGen), will survey 27,000 voters across the country, focusing on seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada. An additional 2,000 voters nationwide will also be surveyed.
The mega-poll will ask voters to weigh in on the preferred age of the next president, whether they want Biden or Trump to withdraw from the race, and if Biden steps aside, whether he should declare an open primary or endorse a specific candidate. The poll will also explore which process voters believe would result in the strongest candidate to challenge the Republican nominee.
“If the president decides to step aside and the Democratic National Committee organizes one or more town halls prior to the Democratic convention, DemNextGen will sponsor another mega-poll immediately following each town hall to allow the voters to inform the convention delegates of their preferences,” the organizers stated.
The call for Biden to withdraw has also gained traction among congressional Democrats. Fourteen members of Congress have openly stated that Biden should step aside. ABC News reported that numerous lawmakers have already drafted letters urging Biden to stand down and plan to release them in the coming days.
A Pew Research Center poll published on Thursday found that 63 percent of U.S. voters are “embarrassed” by both Biden and Trump. Trump, who was recently convicted of 34 felony counts in New York state and faces numerous federal and state criminal charges, has also been a source of embarrassment for many voters.
“We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night,” Senator Peter Welch wrote in an op-ed, adding that Biden should reassess his candidacy for the good of the country.
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