The day before President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history to a polarized electorate, a new poll revealed growing doubts about his stability, even among members of his own party.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which concluded Monday, found that 61% of Americans would describe Trump as having “become erratic with age.” Some 89% of Democrats, 30% of Republicans and 64% of independents described the president this way.
Only 45% of respondents said they would describe Trump as “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges,” down from 54% in a September 2023 poll conducted over a year before he was re-elected for a second term.
The survey, which was conducted online between Feb. 18 and 23, measured the attitudes of 4,638 American adults.
When Reuters asked for comment on the poll, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle shot down the results as an example of a “fake and desperate” narrative while praising Trump’s “sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility” in comparison with his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
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While other recent surveys have hinted at a larger dip in Trump’s approval rating, the poll found 40% approved of the president’s performance, a 2% increase from earlier this month. The president’s overall approval has remained within a point or two of its current level since April 2025, according to Reuters/Ipsos research.
Scrutiny over Trump’s health and physical stamina has surged in recent months, as evidenced by the public reaction after he has seemingly struggled to stay awake at a number of recent White House meetings. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month, the 79-year-old president repeatedly confused Greenland and Iceland, raising questions about his mental acuity.
A number of prominent Republicans, however, have reacted to the discourse with grandiose assertions about Trump’s well-being.
“He can work harder and he has a better memory and he has more stamina and has more energy than a normal mortal,” Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, told New York Magazine last month. “The headline of your story should be ‘The Superhuman President.’”
Appearing on “The Mom View” in December, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles also defended the president’s working habits, saying her boss “works 24/7” and never sleeps.
She also attempted to assuage Republicans’ concerns about this year’s midterm elections by assuring them that Trump would be hitting the campaign trail vigorously.
“I haven’t quite broken it to him yet, but he’s going to campaign like it’s 2024 again,” she said. “He’s a difference-maker, and he’s certainly a turnout machine.”
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