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A new national survey suggests Americans view President Donald Trump‘s mental sharpness almost as negatively as they viewed Joe Biden‘s during his presidency, highlighting how concerns about age and cognitive fitness continue to shape public perceptions of America’s political leaders.
The Strength in Numbers/Verasight poll, conducted July 14-17, 2026, among 1,514 U.S. adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, found that 46 percent of Americans rate Trump’s mental sharpness as president as “poor.”
That was only four points below the 50 percent who said the same of Biden’s presidency.
It comes just weeks after Trump turned 80 and suggests concerns about presidential fitness are increasingly affecting public views of both parties’ most prominent leaders.
While Trump maintains an advantage in positive ratings, the findings suggest concerns about fitness for office are no longer directed solely at Biden, whose age and verbal stumbles became a central issue during his time in the White House.
In a statement provided to Newsweek, White House spokesman Davis Ingle described Trump as “the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises.”
He added: “President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people.”
Newsweek also reached out to Biden’s office for comment via a website contact form on Wednesday morning.
Why It Matters
Questions about Biden’s age and mental acuity dominated political coverage throughout much of his presidency and intensified after a series of verbal stumbles, public missteps and concerns raised by voters from both parties.
Those worries became a central Republican line of attack ahead of the 2024 election cycle.
Now, however, similar questions are beginning to emerge around Trump, who turned 80 in June. Critics have increasingly focused on his age, while opponents have circulated clips portraying him as tired or disengaged.
At the same time, the White House has repeatedly pointed to presidential health assessments and Trump’s public schedule as evidence that he remains fit for office.
Nearly Half Give Trump A ‘Poor’ Rating
While 46 percent of Americans said Trump’s mental sharpness as president was poor, Biden’s presidency scored only marginally worse, at 50 percent.
The result is notable because concerns about Biden’s age became one of the defining issues of his presidency and were regularly amplified by political opponents and conservative media outlets.
Yet the new polling suggests many Americans now hold similar concerns about Trump.
Trump Outperforms Biden On Positive Ratings
Although Trump approaches Biden’s “poor” rating, he performs significantly better at the top end of the scale.
The survey found:
- 21 percent rated Trump’s mental sharpness as excellent, compared with 7 percent for Biden.
- 17 percent rated Trump as good, identical to Biden’s 17 percent.
- 13 percent said Trump’s sharpness was fair, compared with 23 percent for Biden.
- 46 percent said Trump’s sharpness was poor, versus 50 percent for Biden.
Combined, 38 percent of respondents rated Trump as either excellent or good, compared with just 24 percent for Biden.
That suggests Trump retains a substantially stronger base of voters who view him as mentally capable despite growing concerns among the broader electorate.
A grouped bar chart helps show the split more clearly: Trump is rated worse than Biden among those choosing “poor” only by a narrow margin, but performs much better at the top end of the scale.
How Age Became A Political Battleground
Scrutiny surrounding presidential age is far from new, but it reached unprecedented levels during Biden’s term.
Throughout his presidency, Biden faced repeated questions about verbal miscues, memory lapses and physical stumbles.
Political opponents frequently highlighted moments from speeches and public appearances as evidence that he was too old to remain in office.
Those concerns often showed up in polling, with surveys consistently finding that age was among voters’ biggest reservations about Biden.
Trump largely escaped similar criticism while campaigning against Biden, even though he is only a few years younger.
More recently, however, attention has shifted as Trump himself has entered his ninth decade.
The president has become one of the oldest people ever to serve in the White House. Critics have pointed to occasional verbal slips and moments in public appearances that they argue raise questions about fitness for office.
Supporters counter that Trump continues to maintain a demanding schedule, holds lengthy rallies and media appearances, and has received positive health evaluations from his doctors.
What Happens Next
With the 2026 midterm campaign season accelerating and attention already turning toward the political landscape beyond Trump’s presidency, questions surrounding age, stamina and fitness for office are likely to remain central to national debate.
The latest Verasight findings suggest those concerns are no longer directed at one political figure alone.
Instead, they have become a broader issue shaping how Americans assess presidential leadership in an era when both major parties have been led by aging political figures.
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