RUTHFULLY YOURS

In recent weeks, after several very public signs of age-related issues, 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s physical and mental fitness for the White House have once again become a topic of debate. Is the oldest president ever to serve still fit for office? A plurality of voters say “no,” according to the latest I&I/TIPP Poll.

Overall, more American voters give Biden failing grades than passing ones when it comes to both his mental and physical health, according to the national online June I&I/TIPP Poll, taken from May 29-31, of 1,910 adults. The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.4 percentage points.

Our first question asked: “President Biden is seeking a second term. How would you rate his mental acuity and physical fitness?” Participants were then given several possible answers, with a school-style grade assigned: A (excellent), B (good), C (average), D (poor), and F (unacceptable).

On mental acuity, or sharpness, the poll wasn’t close: For 47% of those who answered the poll, Biden earned either D (16%) or F (31)% grades. Just 33% gave him either A (14%) or B (19%). Another 16% rated him C — just average.

Overall, Biden’s “grade-point average” was 1.66, or roughly a D+ grade on the traditional “A-to-F” grading continuum.

But, not surprisingly, the answers weren’t uniform across all demographic groups.

For instance, Democrats were far more likely to give Biden high passing grades for mental acuity (67%) than failing ones (11%), while just 10% of Republicans gave Biden passing grades and 80% flunked him. Independents also were unimpressed: They delivered 55% D or F grades, versus just 18% high passing grades.

By race, white respondents were generally harsher on Biden than minorities.

Among white voters, 56% rated Biden at D or F, versus 28% who gave him A or B grades. For blacks, the comparable ratings were 19% D or F grades (poor) for Biden, but 46% gave him As or Bs (good). Hispanics split somewhere in the middle, with 40% giving Biden the lowest possible grades, but 41% giving him the highest.

And, in a possible bad omen for Biden in 2024’s presidential vote, Red State (52% poor, vs. 30% good) and Swing State (49% poor, 32% good) voters seem to be in tune, while even Blue State voters (42% poor, 36% good) seem at best ambivalent about Biden’s fitness for a second term.

Assessments of Biden’s physical fitness to stay another four years in the most powerful elected position in the world followed a similar pattern.

Once again, 47% of voters give Biden a D or an F for his physical fitness, while just 28% gave him an A or B. Also again, Republicans (78%) and independents (55%) give failing grades, while Democrats (13%) are far more generous. Some 57% of Dems give Biden top marks, versus just 9% of GOP members and 17% of independents.

Two other questions reflect how voters perceive Biden’s ability to do his job should he win a second term.

The first: “How concerned are you about Biden’s ability to handle national security issues if he is re-elected as president?”

On this question, 62% overall responded either “very concerned” (42%) or “somewhat concerned” (20%), versus 32% answering “not very concerned” (16%) or “not at all concerned (16%).

While partisan differences were evident, as almost always seems the case in polls, it’s notable that while 57% of Democrats described themselves as “not concerned,” 37% — more than a third — described themselves as “concerned.” That compares to 9% “not concerned” to 88% “concerned” for Republicans, and 27% “not concerned” and 65% “concerned” for independents.

Clearly, Americans of all parties have significant worries about Biden handling foreign affairs. Yes, that includes Democrats.

The final question: “In 2020, President Biden claimed that he did not have any involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s business. Based on what you know now, how honest do you believe the President was about his involvement in his son’s business?”

Here again, responses were quite damning for a major national political figure. Among voters, 48% described Biden as either “not very honest” (15%) or “not at all honest” (33%). That compares to just 39% calling Biden either “somewhat honest” (19%) or “very honest” (20%).

No doubt, Biden’s advisers are worried about this.

As the I&I/TIPP Poll clearly demonstrates, a plurality of voters have significant problems with Biden’s physical and mental health, and also show significant doubts about his basic honesty and integrity, in particular with regards to his foreign business dealings with son Hunter Biden.

It may be problematic. Biden’s recent turn at the G7 meeting in Italy left many both in the U.S. and in nations around the world scratching their heads.

Under the headline “Meander In Chief,” the New York Post ran photos of Biden seemingly wandering away from the other G7 leaders, only to be towed back to the group by Italian leader Giorgia Meloni.

In another worrisome sign, he appeared to put his head on the ailing Pope Francis’ head as he spoke with him, a strict no-no that sent tongues wagging about his mental faculties.

This comes after an alarming article in the Wall Street Journal based on interviews with 45 Democrats and Republicans who had met with Biden recently and found him mentally lacking.

The Journal cited a number of recent public miscues on Biden’s part that had raised concerns among voters:

On May 20, during a Rose Garden event celebrating Jewish American Heritage month, Biden said one of the U.S. hostages held in Gaza was a guest at the White House event, before correcting himself. One day earlier, at a campaign event in Detroit, he indicated that he was vice president during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started three years after he left that office. It was one of numerous flubs in the single speech that prompted the White House to make corrections to the official transcript.

In January, he mixed up two of his Hispanic cabinet secretaries, Alejandro Mayorkas and Xavier Becerra. During a February fundraiser in New York, he recounted speaking to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl — who died in 2017 — at the 2021 Group of Seven meeting. That same month, at a different fundraiser, he said that during the 2021 G-7 summit he had spoken to former French President François Mitterrand, who died in 1996.

As for Biden’s ability to handle foreign affairs, which Democrats and Republicans agree, requires a diplomatic deftness and depth of knowledge, Biden’s abilities in that realm have also raised serious questions.

From the disastrous exit from Afghanistan and our involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to Biden’s soft-pedaling of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, to the U.S.’ open-borders immigration policy, to China’s growing military, diplomatic and economic challenges to the U.S., to the weak support for long-time ally Israel following Hamas’ terrorist attack, many Americans are simply fed up with what they see as an enfeebled America on the world stage, as the I&I/TIPP Poll clearly indicates.

Coupled with Biden’s clear trouble in convincing voters he has had little or nothing at all to do with son Hunter Biden’s multimillion-dollar business dealings overseas, and the president may have an uphill battle in gaining a second term.

I&I/TIPP publishes timely, unique, and informative data each month on topics of public interest. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past five presidential elections.

Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. His four decades of journalism experience include serving as national issues editor, economics editor, and editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily.