An exclusive poll for DailyMail.com found that a clear majority of independent voters believe President Joe Biden should no longer be the Democratic nominee after a contentious debate with Donald Trump.
About 62 percent said it should be removed from the list.
Biden looked 81 years old Thursday night as he repeatedly lost his train of thought and lapsed into silence.
Trump, 78, was able to land his blows as his Democratic opponent struggled to push back on some of his more outlandish claims.
JL Partners surveyed 805 independent voters immediately after the 90-minute showdown and found that 68 percent said the former president won against his successor in the White House.
JL Partners surveyed 805 independent voters immediately after the 90-minute clash
About 30 percent of people who voted for Biden in 2020 concluded that Trump won the debate.
The poor showing left senior Democratic figures wondering whether they could replace Biden on the ticket.
And the poll found that even among Biden 2020 voters, about 41 percent said it was time to find a new candidate.
James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, said it was a disastrous performance by Biden with independents.
“Voters are not surprised by Biden’s performance – we know from other DailyMail.com polls that people expected him to perform poorly and think he is old and incompetent,” he said.
“But this was his chance to correct that perception, and instead he confirmed it… and then some.”
Trump, he said, seemed like a safe choice in contrast to Biden.
“No one knows where this will go now, but looking at these numbers it looks like Joe Biden can’t beat Donald Trump among independents,” he said.
“And if you can’t win centrist voters, you can’t win the White House.”
President Joe Biden had a torrid time on stage, causing panic among Democrats who question whether he should remain the party’s nominee in November.
The online poll also offered a first glimpse of how the debate will influence voting intentions.
Forty percent said they planned to vote for Trump and 28 percent for Biden before the debate. Those numbers changed to 44 percent who leaned toward Trump and 24 percent toward Biden after the debate, an eight-point swing.
Democrats reacted with horror to Biden’s faltering performance, triggering immediate speculation that they might start a move to select a different candidate.
Biden spoke in a hoarse voice and was difficult to hear at times.
He stopped mid-answer, seemingly losing his train of thought after confusing his words and pausing awkwardly.
At other times, he delivered nonsense, twisting answers on issues that should have been won, such as abortion rights.
This left Trump free to aim at an open target.
“I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence,” he said after Biden delivered a word salad about the border.
“I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
Andrew Yang competed against Biden for the 2020 Democratic nomination. On Thursday, he was among Democrats who said the president should withdraw from the party’s nomination.
The candidates are the oldest in history. Trump is only three years younger than Biden
Donald Trump appeared more vigorous than Biden, although he was only three years younger.
Biden greets the two moderators Dana Bash, left, and Jake Tapper after the debate
This shifted attention from convicted felon Trump, who had to be asked three times whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election, to Biden.
A number of high-profile liberals said it was time for him to step aside.
“Guys, Democrats should nominate someone else, before it’s too late,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
Commentator Mehdi Hasan said he had been a staunch supporter of Biden.
“But not anymore,” he said on X. “Not after tonight’s ‘debate’ disaster. It’s time for Biden to step aside. Democrats need to find a new candidate.”
Vice President Kamala Harris defended Biden. She admitted he got off to a “slow start” but said voters should judge him by his years in office.
“I’m not going to spend the whole night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I’ve been watching the last three and a half years of acting,” he told CNN.