Most Americans believe President Joe Biden won't run for another term in 2024 and almost half think it would be bad for the country if he did, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University published on Wednesday.
Biden's overall approval rating has also fallen in the latest poll and now stands at 46 percent, down from 49 percent in a Quinnipiac poll in May. The president's approval has also declined in other polling after seven months in the White House.
The survey was conducted between July 27 and August 2 and asked respondents if they thought the president would run again, with 54 percent saying he wouldn't seek a second term.
Just 33 percent of respondents said Biden would run again in 2024, while 13 percent had no opinion.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,290 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent.
There has long been speculation about Biden's decision to run for a second term, largely because of his age.
At 78, he is the oldest president ever to take the oath of office and he will turn 82 on November 20, 2024. He would be 86 at the end of a second term.
The Quinnipiac poll also found that 48 percent of respondents believe Biden running for a second term would be bad for the country, while 37 percent think it would be good.
There is a clear contrast in the poll between Americans' views on Biden and former President Donald Trump running in 2024. Forty-nine percent of respondents believe Trump will mount another run at the White House, while 39 percent say he won't and 12 percent had no opinion.
However, 60 percent of Americans believe Trump running again in 2024 would be bad for the country, against 32 percent who think it would be good. The former president has repeatedly hinted at another campaign and would be 78 by the next presidential election.
Speculation that Biden won't seek a second term has been prevalent since he launched his bid to become president in 2020 and he has addressed the issue in the past, saying he would run again.
"My answer is yes. I plan on running for reelection. That's my expectation," Biden said in March.
The president was also asked if he would run with Vice President Kamala Harris again in 2024 and said: "I would fully expect that to be the case."
"She's doing a great job. She's a great partner," Biden said.
The last president eligible to run for another term, but who refused to do so was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. A Democrat, Johnson was facing challenges from within his own party amid controversy about the war in Vietnam and he withdrew from the race ahead of his expected defeat in the Wisconsin primary.
Newsweek asked the White House for comment.
