President Joe Biden should consider dropping out of the presidential race due to a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing that he is trailing former President Donald Trump, David Axelrod wrote on Sunday.
Axelrod, who was a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, commented on X, that "it's very late to change horses; a lot will happen in the next year that no one can predict & Biden's team says his resolve to run is firm. He's defied CW before but this will send tremors of doubt thru the party – not 'bed-wetting,' but legitimate concern."
Axelrod continued in another post that "only @JoeBiden can make this decision. If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it's in HIS best interest or the country's?"
Axelrod added that it is especially vital for Democrats to win, since "Trump is a dangerous, unhinged demagogue."
The poll found Biden trailing Trump in five out of six battleground states, all of which he had won in 2020, by margins of 3 to 10 percentage points among registered voters. In Wisconsin, Biden was ahead by 2 percentage points, according to the poll.
The survey comes as Biden's reelection campaign has dealt with increasing concerns from Democrat voters over the president's age and policies, according to The Hill.
The poll found that 71% of registered voters said they agree to some degree that Biden is "just too old to be an effective president," while only 39% said the same about Trump.
Asked if Biden has the "mental sharpness to be an effective president," 62% said no, while 35% agreed. In addition, 52% of those surveyed said they believe Trump has the mental sharpness to be an effective president, while 44% said he does not.