Democratic concerns about Biden’s mental fitness rise after debate

A new poll indicates that a few Democratic voters are increasingly concerned regarding whether Biden is mentally stable enough to serve as president after a shaky debate performance on Thursday.

A new poll suggests that some Democratic voters are increasingly concerned about whether Joe Biden is mentally fit to serve as president after a shaky debate performance on Thursday.

Poll Results Highlight Concerns

A CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday indicated that 72% of registered voters believe the president does not have the mental and cognitive health to serve as president—a sharp increase from the 65% who said the same in an earlier poll. In comparison, 49% of voters expressed similar concerns about former President Donald Trump.

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Democratic Voters Express Doubts

Particularly alarming for the Biden campaign, 45% of registered Democrats who responded to the poll said they believe the president should step aside for another candidate.

Concerns about the candidates’ ages—Biden is 81 and Trump is 78—existed before Thursday’s debate. However, Biden’s hoarse voice and muddled answers renewed concerns among some Democrats about his candidacy, leading to calls for him to step aside.

Family Support and Party Discussions

The president’s family encouraged him to stay in the race and keep fighting during a long-planned visit to Camp David on Sunday, a source with knowledge of the conversations confirmed to CBS News, BBC’s US partner.

Still, Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, a Democrat and White House ally, called it a “difficult situation” in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday.

He emphasized that there are “very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party,” though the ultimate decision remains with Biden.

Support from Democratic Leaders

“Regardless of what President Biden decides, our party is going to be unified and our party also needs him at the very center of our deliberations in our campaign,” Raskin added.

In the days since the debate, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama have publicly acknowledged that it was not Biden’s best performance. Despite this, they and many other Democratic allies rejected calls for Biden to step aside.

House Minority Leader’s Perspective

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told MSNBC on Sunday that the president’s debate performance “was a setback. But, of course, I believe a setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback.”

Democratic leaders and allies continue to rally behind Biden, emphasizing unity and the need for his leadership in the upcoming campaign.