Most American voters agree that US President Joe Biden should resign from office now, while a vast majority approve of his decision not to seek reelection, a Rasmussen Reports poll has suggested.
The survey results released on Friday showed that 52% of respondents agree that Biden should resign before his term expires. The same poll found that 76% supported his decision to drop out of the race.
Only 18% of respondents disapproved of Biden ending his campaign. The poll was conducted from July 22 to 24 and involved 1,074 registered voters.
Immediately after Biden announced that he was quitting the race, Republican lawmakers in Congress started to openly call for him to leave the White House before his term expires.
House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed earlier this month that if Biden is not fit to run for president, “he is not fit to serve as president” adding that “he must resign the office immediately.”
“Doesn’t have the mental acuity or cognitive ability to run a political campaign but can serve for six more months as president? He should resign,” Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace wrote.
Senator Rick Scott, former governor of Florida, echoed these remarks.
“Let me be clear, if Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is not capable of serving as president for the next six months and needs to resign today,” Scott said. “While we welcome the news that one of America’s most destructive presidents will be denied a second term, it changes very little as to the stakes of this election.”
Biden announced that he was ending his reelection campaign on July 21. The announcement came after weeks of growing concerns among Democrats and party donors over his declining health and ability to defeat Donald Trump in November, especially after his disastrous performance in the debate against his Republican rival. While initially defiant, Biden argued that the move was necessary, given the high stakes of the election.
In the wake of his withdrawal, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Harris has so far secured the support of the Clintons and the Obamas; however, in the polls she lags behind the former US president, according to the latest surveys.