A recent poll indicates voters in the United States almost universally approve of President Biden’s decision to end his 2024 re-election campaign.
According to a New York Times/Siena College Poll released Thursday, a staggering 87% of registered voters said they approved of the president’s decision to forego a second term.
Only 9% of respondents said they disapproved of the decision.
The New York Times reported that the 87% agreement statistic is among the highest levels of agreement on a Times/Siena polling question in years.
The president gave a short Oval Office address on Wednesday in which he conveyed his decision to step down and endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
‘In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I made my choice. I’ve made my views known,’ Biden said from the White House. ‘I would like to thank our great vice president, Kamala Harris. She is experienced, she is tough, she is capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country.
He continued, ‘Now the choice is up to you, the American people. When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office, alongside the busts of Dr. King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez.’
Biden’s decision to give up on re-election shocked the public and even Democratic Party insiders close to the president — his campaign had planned fundraising events well into August and repeatedly told Democratic lawmakers he had no intention of giving up the race.
Critics and allies alike had called for Biden to stand down from the Democratic Party ticket following his disastrous first presidential debate performance and years of increasingly concerning behavior that seemed to show mental decline.
The speech lasted roughly 11 minutes, with the president sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office while touting his years in political office and decision to bow out.
Members of the president’s family were in attendance for the speech, including first lady Jill Biden, daughter Ashley Biden, son Hunter Biden and others.
Former President Donald Trump slammed the Oval Office address, calling it a ‘terrible’ speech while accusing Democrats of staging a coup against the president.
‘I knew there was a palace coup going on, and I assumed that she’d be probably getting it,’ Trump said of Harris. ‘She had the advantage.’
Fox News Digital’s Scott McDonald contributed to this report.
