Biden ‘too old to run’ again, nearly three-quarters say: poll

A majority of voters said President Biden is “too old to run for president,” a new Wall Street Journal poll has found.

The poll, conducted between Aug. 24-30, found that 73 percent of registered voters think the statement that Biden “is too old to run for president” describes him “very” or “somewhat well.” Only 22 percent said the statement described him “not too well” or “not at all well.”

Former President Trump, only three years younger at 77, rated more favorably when respondents were asked the same question, with 47 percent of those polled indicating Trump’s age is an issue.

One of Biden’s biggest struggles in the 2024 presidential race is his age. At 80 now, he would be 86 at the end of his next term if reelected. 

Biden addressed his age Monday morning at a Labor Day event in Philadelphia, saying he brings wisdom to the job.

“I’ll tell you what, someone said you know, that Biden he’s getting old, man,” the president said.  “The only thing that comes with age is a little bit of wisdom. I’ve been doing this longer than anybody, and guess what? I’m going to continue to do it with your help.”

Multiple earlier polls have found voters continually show concerns about the current president’s age. However, if Biden ends up in a rematch with former President Trump, questions about age might be less of an issue, according to Stewart Verdery, who served in former President George W. Bush’s administration.  

“If he were likely running against a modern JFK on a sailboat, it might be more of an issue. But as long as his main foil is in Mar-a-Lago, the president’s age may cause swing voters to pause before they still pull the lever for him,” Verdrey said. 

The poll surveyed 1,200 registered voters, but the aforementioned results come from answers from 750 voters with a margin of error of 3.6 percent.

Alex Gangitano contributed.