Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a new poll, sharply undercutting his post-debate claim that “average Democrats” are still with him even if some “big names” are turning on him.

The new survey by the AP-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, conducted as Biden works to salvage his candidacy two weeks after his debate flop, also found that only about 3 in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as President, down slightly from 40 per cent in an AP-NORC poll in February.

The findings underscore the challenges the 81-year-old President faces as he tries to silence calls from within his own party to leave the race.

The poll was conducted mostly before Saturday’s assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

It’s unclear whether the shooting influenced people’s views of Biden, but the small number of poll interviews completed after the shooting provided no early indication that his prospects improved.

Meanwhile, as Vice-President Kamala Harris receives additional scrutiny amid the talk about whether Biden should bow out, the poll found that her favourability rating is similar to his — but the share of Americans who have an unfavourable opinion of her is slightly lower.

The poll provides some evidence that Black Democrats are among Biden’s strongest supporters, with roughly half in the survey saying he should continue running, compared to about 3 in 10 white and Hispanic Democrats.

Overall, seven in 10 Americans think Biden should drop out, with Democrats only slightly less likely than Republicans and independents to say that he should make way for a new nominee.

AP/PTI