How Trump’s 'verbal blunders' and 'unforced gaffes' could undercut his strongest case against Biden: analysis

30 October 2023

An August 2023 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found many Americans think President Joe Biden, who is 80, is too old to run for a second term, although his potential 2024 rival, ex-President Donald Trump is 77.

An October 2023 Monmouth University poll, according to The Hill, "found partisan differences to be a main driver of the gap between the two men. In Biden's case, 56 percent of Democrats believe he is too old, along with 90 percent of Republicans."

In a Monday, October 30 report from New York Times political correspondents Michael C. Bender and Michael Gold point to Trump's "increased verbal blunders" over the last several weeks, which "threaten to undermine" the GOP's argument that "Biden is too old."

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

The reporters note "Trump has had a string of unforced gaffes, garble and general disjointedness that go beyond his usual discursive nature," which even "Republican rivals are pointing to as signs of his declining performance."

For instance, on Sunday, October 29, the MAGA hopeful "wrongly thanked" Sioux Falls, South Dakota fans — when he meant Sioux City, Iowa supporters — after recently mocking Biden earlier this month by "pretending" to mistake Iowa for Idaho.

This happened after earlier this month during his New Hampshire rally, Trump called Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban "the leader of Turkey," Bender and Gold report.

Furthermore, according to the report, during another recent appearance "Trump sounded as if he were talking about hummus when he mispronounced Hamas (huh-maas), the Islamist group that governs the Gaza Strip and carried out one of the largest attacks on Israel in decades on Oct. 7."

While Bender and Gold note that "it is unclear if Mr. Trump's recent slips are connected to his age," the pair report a recent Franklin & Marshall College survey of registered Pennsylvania voters found "43 percent of Pennsylvanians said both men were 'too old to serve another term.'"

Franklin & Marshall poll director Berwood Yost emphasized "Biden's wide lead among voters who were worried about both candidates' ages could be explained partly by the fact that Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to identify age as a problem for their party's leader."

He said, "The age issue is one that if Trump gets tarred with the same brush as Biden, it really hurts him."

The full report is available at this link (subscription required). The Associated Press' report is here. The Hill's report is here.

From Your Site Articles