According to two recent polls, over three-fifths of Americans believe that Vice President Kamala Harris played a significant role in covering up President Joe Biden’s declining health.
The polls, conducted in the aftermath of Biden’s withdrawal but prior to his Wednesday address to the nation, highlight a supermajority belief that Harris was involved in hiding Biden’s deteriorating cognitive and physical health.
A YouGov poll conducted for The Times revealed that 54% of respondents believed there was a cover-up regarding Biden’s health issues, with 68% of those attributing significant responsibility to Harris.
The second poll, conducted by The Democracy Institute and Daily Express US showed that 62% of Americans felt Harris “lied” to the public about the president’s health.
The YouGov poll, conducted between July 22-23, surveyed 1,170 registered voters and has a margin of error of 3.2%.
The Democracy Institute/Daily Express US poll, conducted on July 24, surveyed 1,200 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3%.
Calls for Biden to step aside began to emerge from within the Democratic Party following a dismal performance during a CNN debate on June 27 against former President Donald Trump, where Biden froze and lost his train of thought.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race. By Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris had already garnered sufficient verbal support from Democratic National Convention delegates, positioning her as the presumptive nominee.
In current polling data, Trump leads Harris by 1.9% in a national head-to-head matchup, based on the Real Clear Polling average of polls from July 5 to 24. When including Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein and independent presidential candidates Cornel West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s lead extends to 2.8%.
This sentiment among Americans reflects growing concerns about transparency and the overall health of leadership in the country, with Vice President Harris at the center of the controversy.