More than half of Americans believe President Biden got "special treatment" in the special counsel investigation into his mishandling of classified documents, according to a new poll.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 53% of Americans believe Biden got off easy because he is president. Roughly 29% of Democrats also agreed Biden got special treatment.
The results come after Special Counsel Robert Hur chose not to recommend charges against Biden for mishandling classified documents, in part because Biden could present himself to the jury as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."
Hur's report went on to describe significant memory issues for Biden, saying the president could not remember when his son, Beau, died. He also failed to remember what years he served as vice president under President Obama.
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Biden's age and mental capacity have long been top issues for voters. Polls have found that large majorities of Americans believe he is too old to run for office, and Tuesday's Reuters poll is no different. Roughly 78% of respondents said he is too old to serve a second term, and 71% of Democrats agreed.
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Ipsos conducted the poll from Feb. 9 through Feb. 12, surveying 1,237 U.S. adults. The poll used the probability-based Knowledge Panel to ensure respondents represented the U.S. population. The poll advertised a margin of error of 2.91%.
Biden and the White House have dismissed concerns about his fitness for office. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated on Monday that the president's upcoming physical exam will not include a cognitive test.
Jean-Pierre stated that Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, believes Biden proves his cognitive ability "every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks."
Biden himself attempted to laugh off his memory issues on Monday. Delivering remarks at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference, Biden spoke about his bipartisan infrastructure law.
"After devastating floods, tornadoes, wildfires and hurricane, we're going to keep working together to respond, to rebuild and boost resilience to extreme weather. My administration is also helping install rooftop solar to build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations for revitalizing fenceline communities smothered by the legacy of pollution like where I lived in Claymont," Biden said, referring to where his family moved in Delaware during the early 1950s.
"What I didn't realize, and I've been around, I know it don't look like it, but I've been around a while. I do remember that," Biden said, garnering laughter and applause.
