A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that more than two-thirds of Americans, including 30 per cent of Republicans, believe Donald Trump has become “erratic” with age. The survey of 1,000 respondents, conducted ahead of the president’s State of the Union address, showed that 89 per cent of Democrats and 64 per cent of independents shared this view.
The 79-year-old president began his second term as the oldest person ever inaugurated, narrowly surpassing Joe Biden. Since then, Trump has pursued a flurry of policies and executive orders, including sweeping tariffs and heavy-handed immigration crackdowns, often delivered in rambling, rally-style press briefings. He has also used his Truth Social platform to attack judges and lawmakers, most recently calling Supreme Court justices “a disgrace” after they ruled his tariff policies illegal.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle dismissed the poll results as “fake and desperate narratives”, insisting that “Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility” set him apart. However, the survey found that only 45 per cent of respondents now describe Trump as “mentally sharp”, down from 54 per cent in September 2023. Among Republicans, 81 per cent still hold that view, little changed from the earlier poll.
The broader finding was widespread concern about the age of US leaders: 79 per cent of respondents agreed that “elected officials in Washington, D.C., are too old to represent most Americans”. Democrats were slightly more likely to call for younger politicians, with 58 per cent saying top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, 75, was too old. Trump is on track to become the oldest US president ever, turning 80 in June.
