60% of Americans say Biden lacks mental ability to hold office, poll finds

Biden will face a skeptical nation when he delivers his State of the Union address

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Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are no longer confident that President Biden has the mental ability to effectively serve as president, according to a poll released Monday.

The poll, conducted by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that a growing number of Americans no longer see Biden as competent.

According to the AP, about 60% of those polled had doubts about the president's mental capabilities, including approximately a third of Democrats saying they are not very confident or not at all confident, and 80% of independents lacking confidence in his mental ability.

Going into Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday, just 38% of U.S. adults approve of how he is handling his job as president, while 61% disapprove. There is also broad discontent on the way Biden, 81, is handling a variety of issues, including the economy, immigration and foreign policy.

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President Joe Biden

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are no longer confident that President Biden has the mental ability to effectively serve as president, according to Monday poll. (Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Roughly 4 in 10 Americans support Biden's handling of climate change, abortion and the war in Ukraine. He performs far worse on immigration, the war in Gaza and on the economy, however, with just 3 in 10 Americans backing him.

The news was not all positive for former President Trump, however. He had nearly 6 in 10 Americans saying that he also lacks the mental ability to serve as President. Nevertheless, the 77-year-old received wider support from voters on issues.

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The AP poll surveyed 1,102 U.S. adults using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The survey ran from Feb. 22-26, and the poll advertises a 4.1% margin of error.

The results of the AP poll mirror findings from Fox News' latest polling data released on Sunday.

Biden’s worst ratings are on border security: 71% think the administration has mostly failed on improving the situation at the border, while 24% say it has mostly succeeded.

Next, 69% feel Biden has mostly failed at unifying the country, and almost as many say the same about making the country safer (63%), handling the economy (61%), improving America’s image around the world (61%). Additionally, 58% say he has mostly failed at helping working-class Americans.

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"When the president declares that the state of the union is strong, Americans will largely disagree, and the major source of this disagreement is the economy," said Republican pollster Daron Shaw who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. "Despite the vehement and somewhat condescending protestations of some economists, most feel they have less money to pay their bills and buy groceries, clothing, and gas than they did a year ago." 

Bidens state of the union

When the president declares that the state of the union is strong, Americans will largely disagree, says Republican pollster Daron Shaw. (Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images)

By a 23-point margin, more say Biden’s policies are hurting them (48%) rather than helping (25%), with 27% saying they haven’t made much difference.

Fox News' Dana Blanton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

Authored by Anders Hagstrom via FoxNews March 4th 2024