Biden judged more mentally sound than Trump in new Fox News poll


Fox News released its first national poll of likely voters in the 2020 election on Sunday, and Democrat Joe Biden leads by 5 percentage points, 51 parent to 46 percent, right at edge of the margin of sampling error. "Likely voters trust Trump over Biden on just one issue: the economy, by 5 points," Fox News notes. "Biden is favored on racial inequality (+12), coronavirus (+8), health care (+8), Supreme Court nominations (+7), and immigration (+7 points)," plus "policing and criminal justice" (+7) and "maintaining law and order" (Biden +2).
"Law and order," or course, is Trump's current campaign theme. Another frequent attack he and his surrogates have been making against Biden is that the former vice president isn't mentally up to the job. Likely voters disagree, Fox News found. A 51 percent majority said they "think Joe Biden has the mental soundness to serve effectively as president" versus 47 percent who said the same of Trump; 51 percent of likely voters said Trump does not have the mental soundness to be president, versus 45 percent who said the same of Biden.
Biden also topped Trump on the question of having the compassion to serve effectively as president, with 62 percent saying Biden passes that test while 54 percent said Trump failed it. Biden leads Trump in the question of who could bring the country together better by 13 points, but 51 percent of registered and likely voters guessed Trump would be re-elected.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
RealClearPolitics has Biden up 7.5 points in its aggregate of national polls, 50.5 percent to 43 percent; FiveThirtyEight's polling average has Biden ahead by 7.3 points, 50.6 percent to 43.3 percent, and its forecast currently gives him 75 percent odds of winning. The Fox News poll, conducted Sept. 7-10 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Co. (R), reached 1,191 likely voters by phone, and its margin of sampling error is ±2.5 percentage points.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trade war with China threatens U.S. economy
Feature Trump's tariff battle with China is hitting U.S. businesses hard and raising fears of a global recession
By The Week US
-
Corruption: The road to crony capitalism
Feature Trump's tariff pause sent the stock market soaring — was it insider trading?
By The Week US
-
China Shock 2.0
Feature An overflow of Chinese goods is flooding the global market. Tariffs won’t stop it.
By The Week US
-
Israel blames 'failures' for killing of medics
speed read 14 Gaza medics and 1 U.N. employee were killed by IDF special forces
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
China accuses NSA of Winter Games cyberattacks
speed read China alleges that the U.S. National Security Agency launched cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Russian strike kills dozens in Ukraine
Speed Read The Sumy ballistic missile strike was Russia's deadliest attack on civilians this year
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
South Korea court removes impeached president
Speed Read The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol after his declaration of martial law in December
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson