The vast majority of voters believe President Joe Biden’s Philadelphia speech was a divisive, partisan, and inappropriate mistake, according to the latest Harvard/Harris poll. Instead of representing an honest effort to protect democracy, 60% of voters said Biden only delivered the speech to distract from his disastrous records on record-high inflation and complete border chaos.
While Biden’s overall approval rating did rise to 41%, with 55% disapproving, his approval ratings on immigration and inflation stayed at lower 37% and 36% levels. Inflation was Biden’s worst issue, followed by a tie between immigration and the economy for second-lowest.
Asked which issues were most important to them, inflation was the top worry at 39%, with jobs in second at 26%, and immigration in third at 22%. Only 8% of voters said Jan. 6 was an important issue, and just 7% said voting rights.
Over half of voters (56%) said they opposed Biden’s Philadelphia speech, with a full 60% saying the speech divided the nation. Fifty-two percent of voters said it was inappropriate for Biden to call President Donald Trump and his supporters a threat to the country, and 56% said it was inappropriate to label them “semi-fascists.”
Given the highly negative reaction to Biden’s speech, it shouldn’t be surprising that 67% of voters don’t want Biden to run for reelection in 2024, with 56% having doubts about his mental fitness for office and 63% saying he is too old to be president.
On the bright side for Biden, he is crushing all competition in a hypothetical 2024 Democratic primary, including against Vice President Kamala Harris, who only manages 13% with Biden still in the race.
So, he’s got that going for him. Which is nice. I guess.
