The day earlier than President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history to a polarized voters, a brand new ballot revealed rising doubts about his stability, even amongst members of his personal social gathering.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which concluded Monday, discovered that 61% of Individuals would describe Trump as having “turn into erratic with age.” Some 89% of Democrats, 30% of Republicans and 64% of independents described the president this fashion.
Solely 45% of respondents mentioned they’d describe Trump as “mentally sharp and capable of take care of challenges,” down from 54% in a September 2023 ballot performed over a 12 months earlier than he was re-elected for a second time period.
The survey, which was performed on-line between Feb. 18 and 23, measured the attitudes of 4,638 American adults.
When Reuters requested for touch upon the ballot, White Home spokesperson Davis Ingle shot down the outcomes for instance of a “pretend and determined” narrative whereas praising Trump’s “sharpness, unmatched vitality, and historic accessibility” as compared along with his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
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Whereas different recent surveys have hinted at a larger dip in Trump’s approval ranking, the poll discovered 40% authorized of the president’s efficiency, a 2% improve from earlier this month. The president’s general approval has remained inside a degree or two of its present degree since April 2025, in keeping with Reuters/Ipsos analysis.
Scrutiny over Trump’s well being and bodily stamina has surged in current months, as evidenced by the general public response after he has seemingly struggled to stay awake at quite a lot of current White Home conferences. Talking on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Switzerland, final month, the 79-year-old president repeatedly confused Greenland and Iceland, elevating questions on his psychological acuity.
Numerous outstanding Republicans, nonetheless, have reacted to the discourse with grandiose assertions about Trump’s well-being.
“He can work more durable and he has a greater reminiscence and he has extra stamina and has extra vitality than a standard mortal,” Stephen Miller, the White Home deputy chief of employees, told New York Magazine final month. “The headline of your story must be ‘The Superhuman President.’”
Showing on “The Mom View” in December, White Home chief of employees Susie Wiles additionally defended the president’s working habits, saying her boss “works 24/7” and by no means sleeps.
She additionally tried to assuage Republicans’ considerations about this 12 months’s midterm elections by assuring them that Trump could be hitting the marketing campaign path vigorously.
“I haven’t fairly damaged it to him but, however he’s going to marketing campaign prefer it’s 2024 once more,” she mentioned. “He’s a difference-maker, and he’s actually a turnout machine.”
