A new poll has revealed a stark contrast in views of potential candidates for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Godzillanewz, found that while Joe Biden’s age has become a potential issue for many voters, opinion on the age of Donald Trump was far less of a concern.
When presented with a hypothetical matchup for the 2024 election between the current President Biden and Trump, who would be 79-years-old in the election year, 42% of likely voters said Biden’s age would make them less likely to vote for him. Meanwhile, only 12% of those surveyed said the same for Trump.
The large gap in opinion between the two contenders highlights the political reality that Biden’s age has become an issue for some voters, while the issue of Trump’s age is decidedly less so. Trump’s age, after all, has not been a focal point of campaign conversation in the lead-up to this election, whereas Biden has had to fend off critiques related to apparent issues with mental acuity and stamina from his opponents.
These poll results may also be indicative of an overall sentiment of trust in Trump. Despite his track record of both policy decisions and misleading statements to the public, voters may simply view him more favorably than they do Biden despite his age-related conundrums.
The poll also showed that some voters may consider Biden’s age to be a deciding factor in who they vote for in 2024. Among voters who said Joe Biden’s age made them less likely to support him, 53% said they were either voting based on the issue or that the subject was very important to them.
The Biden and Trump matchup for 2024 is currently a hypothetical situation, with the current election still holding center stage. Biden, however, may already be facing an uphill battle with some voters simply because of his age, something that does not appear to afflict his potential opponents. Whether or not this becomes a decisive factor in the outcome of the 2024 election remains to be seen, but this survey paints an interesting portrait of the public opinion on the age of presidential candidates.
