In the aftermath of the initial 2024 presidential debate, a recent poll reveals a decline in voters’ confidence in President Joe Biden‘s mental and physical fitness. The poll also suggests that Republican candidate Donald Trump was perceived to have outperformed Biden during the debate.

What Happened An Ipsos poll conducted before and after the debate showed that less than half of the viewers rated Trump's performance as good or excellent.

However, three out of five viewers believed Trump outshone Biden. Confidence in Biden’s fitness to serve as president saw a significant decline, particularly among Democrats, dropping from 27% pre-debate to 20% post-debate.

Despite Biden’s underwhelming performance, a significant number of likely voters reported that they are still likely to consider voting for Biden.

Among respondents who completed both the pre- and post-debate survey, only 4% are giving less consideration to voting for Biden, compared to 2% for Trump.

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An Ipsos focus group conducted immediately after the debate with six undecided voters found that, while Biden clearly lost the debate, Trump didn’t necessarily win it.

The group also noted that the debate did a mixed job at covering a range of topics, with a plurality rating the performance of the moderators as about average.

Why It Matters: The results of the poll are significant as they reflect the public’s perception of the candidates’ performance in the first 2024 presidential debate. The decline in the confidence in Biden’s fitness, especially among Democrats, could potentially impact his chances in the upcoming election.

However, the fact that a significant number of likely voters are still considering voting for Biden despite his performance in the debate indicates that the race for the presidency is far from over.

The perception that Trump outperformed Biden, despite less than half of viewers rating his performance as good or excellent, suggests that the public’s expectations for the candidates may play a significant role in determining the outcome of the election.

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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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