Some 60% of American voters believe that US President Joe Biden should be replaced as the Democratic presidential candidate following his debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump last week, according to a Morning Consult Pro poll published Friday.
A separate CBS poll stated that 72% of registered voters believe that Biden should not be running for president, with reasons citing campaigning, effectiveness in office, and his age.
Democrats hoped the debate would serve as an opportunity to quell rising public concern over Biden’s age and mental capabilities. However, many criticized the president’s performance, noting several moments where he struggled to speak clearly, American media reported.
The Morning Consult Pro poll found that among debate viewers, 78% say Biden is too old, compared to 64% of voters who said the same in the days prior to the debate. Additionally, 57% of debate-viewing voters said Trump outperformed Biden on Thursday, including 19% of Democrats, 60% of independents and 93% of Republicans.
One party strategist, who has previously worked on presidential campaigns, said to NBC that he thinks “Democrats just committed collective suicide.”
Still, the survey showed that Biden's support remained mostly steady following the debate. When the poll asked respondents to choose between Biden and former President Trump, 45% chose the president, and 44% chose Trump.
Biden addressed his debate performance at a campaign event on Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he gave an impassioned speech defending his ability to potentially serve another term as president.
"I don't walk as easy as I used to, I don't speak as smoothly as I used to, I don't debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth," Biden said in his speech. "Folks, I gave you my word as a Biden, I would not be running again if I didn't believe that with all my heart and soul, I could do this job."
First Lady Jill Biden also spoke at the event, “There is no one that I would rather have sitting in the Oval Office right now than my husband," she said.
Historically, no party in the US has ever forcibly replaced its presidential nominee, but one of Biden's advisors told CNN on Friday that it is highly unlikely that Biden would step down. According to his advisor, Biden still intends to participate in the second presidential debate in November.
VP Kamala Harris comes to Biden's defense
"The stakes are too high. Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation," Biden said in his Friday speech.
Following the debate, Vice President Kamala Harris staunchly defended the president during an interview with CNN on Friday.
“People can debate on style points, but ultimately, this election and who is the president of the United States has to be about substance and the contrast is clear," Harris said during the interview.
She continued, saying that the debate should not diminish his "three and a half years of performance."
According to Politico, Democrats might choose an open nomination process at the Democratic National Convention in August. This would require some delegates from states Biden won to vote for a different candidate instead of following their local primary results.
The Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.