A third of voters think Biden would finish a second term if reelected: poll

About a third of U.S. registered voters surveyed said they think President Biden would finish a second term if reelected, compared to a little more than half of voters who think the same for former President Trump, according to a poll.   

The CBS News/YouGov survey, published Sunday, found 34 percent of registered voters said they believe Biden would finish a second term, while 44 percent said he would leave office before the end of his second term and 22 percent said they are not sure. 

Meanwhile, 55 percent said they think Trump would finish his second term, 16 percent said they believe he would leave office before his second term is up, and 29 percent said they are not sure. 

On the topic of physical fitness, voters indicated that Trump is more physically healthy to serve as president, with 43 percent of voters saying only Trump and not Biden is physically healthy for the job. This is nearly three times more than the 16 percent who said only Biden and not Trump is physically healthy enough to serve in the highest office.

The same trend was found when asked about the opponents’ mental and cognitive health. Among respondents, 44 percent said only Trump has the mental and cognitive health to serve as president, while 26 percent said only Biden. Meanwhile, 7 percent said both candidates have the mental and cognitive health needed for president, while almost a quarter, or 23 percent, said neither of them have the mental or cognitive health for the job. 

While the two presidential candidates are only three years apart in age, concerns over Biden’s age and physical and mental fitness have become a large criticism of his reelection campaign. At 80, Biden is the oldest U.S. president. If reelected in 2024, he would be 86 at the end of his second term. 

Last week, Trump, 77, sought to differentiate Biden’s age from the question of his fitness in an interview, claiming Biden is not “too old” to serve as president, but instead is “grossly incompetent” for the job. 

In recent weeks, multiple polls have indicated a growing concern among voters over Biden’s age. 

A CNN poll released earlier this month showed more than half, or 56 percent, of Democrats are “seriously concerned” Biden’s age is negatively impacting a variety of factors, including his physical and mental competence and his ability to win the 2024 election. 

A Wall Street Journal poll published earlier this month similarly found 73 percent of Americans and roughly two-thirds of Democrats surveyed said the phrase “too old to run for president” captures Biden at least “somewhat well.” 

Despite any concerns over the incumbent’s health and age, the poll found Biden and Trump are neck and neck in a hypothetical match-up, with Trump having a 1-point edge over Biden — 50 percent to 49 percent. 

The CBS News/YouGov poll surveyed 4,002 U.S. adult residents between Sept. 12-15. The margin of error is 2.1 points.