A growing number of American voters say US President Joe Biden should not run for re-election, according to a new survey, which showed declining approval even among fellow Democrats.
A Yahoo News/YouGov poll published on Wednesday found just 18% support for a 2024 Biden campaign, with a much larger 64% stating he should stay out of the race, some of the worst numbers for the president to date.
In another first since Biden took office, the poll shows that a greater number of Democrats oppose a reelection effort (41%) than support it (35%), continuing downward trends seen since May. In that time, backing for a 2024 bid has dropped by seven points among Americans overall, and by eight points for those in the president’s own party.
As for who should run in his place, Democratic respondents were divided, with only 19% pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris, another 20% saying ‘someone else’, and 30% who were ‘not sure’. Just 4% said they would not vote at all.
Though Biden has declared that he will take part in the next presidential race, some Democrats appear increasingly uncertain about the 79-year-old leader, with the New York Times recently citing “dozens of frustrated Democratic officials,” lawmakers, and voters voicing doubts about his suitability.
Another survey conducted by Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll last month largely matched Yahoo’s findings, showing that 71% do not believe Biden should run again, while just 29% said he should. General approval ratings during his time in the Oval Office have also sunk, dropping below 30% in a recent Civiqs poll, the lowest figure yet.
Meanwhile, more than half of Republicans surveyed (60%) told Yahoo that former President Donald Trump should make another run for the White House, nearly double the Democratic support for Biden.