For the 2024 elections have begun, and most pollsters have Joe Biden and Donald Trump neck and neck. In 2020, Joe Biden won that election by small but steady four and a half percent. Today, according to The Real Clear Politics average of all the credible national polls, it is Donald Trump with a four and a half percent advantage. The big question why, with inflation and crime down and with the economy and standard of living up, and with Trump facing four major criminal lawsuits over the coming months? Why has Joe Biden slipped so much of your watch for the next 30 minutes, you’re going to know exactly why America speaks gathered a nationwide group of former Biden voters for a candid and at times difficult conversation about how they see Joe Biden today. What you’re about to hear offers the best explanation yet for why Biden is struggling and why Trump may return to the Oval Office. And you can only hear that conversation right here at straighter news. I’m Dr. Frank Luntz. Let’s get right to it.
So let’s start by affirming who you are, by show of hands, how many of you voted for Joe Biden in 2020? Please raise your hands up. How many of you are right now planning to vote for Joe Biden in 2020? For that, that’s what I want to understand. So let’s start with a simple word or phrase describe Joe Biden. On election day, when he 20. Whatever you want, I know some of you voted for him. Some of you voted against Donald Trump. What was it? What a word or phrase describe Joe Biden? On election day? 2020. Bill, I’m gonna start with you.
And non threatening
Mike. Old Stewart.
Normal. George civilised,
Sarah. Obama. Jacqueline.
Oh, Nancy old. Okay.
I’m nicer. Now remember,
this is election day. 2020. All right, either word or phrase to describe Joe Biden on election day. 2020.
Democracy, Robert Stanley,
Randi, positive, Clark.
Moderate temperament,
word or phrase to describe Joe Biden on election day. 2020. James.
clean cut and
positive changes for the middle class.
Tracy sane and stable. Janna
explore experience.
I’d now like to understand what you think of Joe Biden today. 10 months from election day. And
not keeping promises.
John deviser Jana
geriatric Tracy.
Too old to be running for a second term. James. We Clark beholding to his political tribe. Randy old and delusional. Robert to alter reelect Sarah. Useless. George doll. Andre. Sick. Peter killed Liz. Too old and can’t
walk Jacqueline.
Oh, say that again. So
that’s the lefty salts so not Stuart.
I gotta say mixed bag.
Mike.
Experienced competent, but deteriorating.
Bill is just gotten old.
If I can offer a personal perspective, just for a moment. I do love my job as a pollster. The reason is that I get to ask a lot of questions and hear from every perspective from just about everyone. Everyday is a chance to listen to America and more importantly, to learn from America. This incredible conversation is the perfect illustration. I asked our participants to explain why they weren’t voting for Joe Biden again, and they got a lot more than I bargained for. Let’s listen.
Okay. Anybody why the shift? You were positive and 2020 You’re negative in 2024. Please explain to me why this shift? George?
I well, I mean, as I’ve gotten a little older I’m I’m thinking I mean, I think more in terms of broad appeal among people that I don’t agree with a lot of people I grew up in South and a lot of people I love from there are Trump supporters. And I’m seeing Biden not winning their confidence, I actually think he’s doing a good job in terms of the things that I care about. But he needs to appeal to, to people I disagree with. Tracy,
you like Joe Biden, in 2020, your response is much more negative in 2024. Please explain why.
I was under the impression when Joe Biden ran and 2020. And if I recall, his campaign manager also intimated that he was going to be a transitional candidate, to get us through the horror of Donald Trump. So and so with that, over the course of these last three years, as he has declined, and his age has been so nakedly apparent that it’s affecting his ability, in my opinion. I just don’t understand why he’s running for a second term. And I’m actually so irritated about it. I could just scream at Democrats right now.
Who else is angry that he’s running for reelection? Robert, can you explain why?
Because he, I think he started to say it. Well, he’s he was a transitional period. He’s had a great Presidency of getting us back to normalcy and ability. But it’s time to declare victory and move on and pass the torch to another generation. Joe Biden has not been an effective leader at shaping messages in public attitudes. And that’s a critical issue, particularly in these turbulent times. And he’s only gonna get worse as he gets older.
Here, what’s your response?
You know, I, I’m a conservative, okay. And I voted for Biden, because Donald Trump is going to burn the whole place down. And I applaud Joe Biden for keeping things civil trying to bring things back to civility. But I just think that he’s just past his prime. Also, the border is atrocious. And
we’ll get into issues in a moment.
Yeah, but just just that’s just those are the reasons why I can’t I can’t in good conscience, but I don’t, but I don’t I can’t vote for the other side, either. I’m like, really politically humbled at this point, I’m terrified of what’s going to happen this country on both sides of things.
I was watching grandi, shake her head and might shake his head. So brandy, you’re up? Tell me why. Um,
you know, I, I don’t want to say what I do, but like, I almost want to say what I do. So, um, you know, I work for, um, work with kids that were in the public school system. So you know, being in education is always like, the democratic way of life. And that’s why I went that route. And I also believed in like, his messaging, and, you know, the other side was very vulgar. At the time. We don’t you know, he still is, but it’s just, I feel like, I’d hate to. I feel like the country is gone, for lack of a better word to shit. And I’m sorry, excuse my mouth. But it’s, it’s sad. All right. Absolutely.
We’re doing this. Can you explain why?
I think he doesn’t deserve it. I think he’s useless. As I said, He’s self interested. He doesn’t want to put any work into fixing problems. And I’m quite angry with him and all the stuff he’s done already, including his lack of response to ETS, Palestine, the train derailment, and the vaccine mandates and all the all the crap they pulled on trying to censor Coronavirus messaging that would try to push OSHA restrictions on vaccine mandates to get people fired from their jobs. I mean, it’s atrocious, the way they’ve behaved over the last, you know, however long it’s been now I’m fed up.
And that’s expressed very clearly. Is there anyone who’s on this conversation? And you all go to for binding that I have to keep reminding you of this? Who thinks he’s okay?
I kind of think he’s okay. Except he’s giving in I think too much to the to the people around him. He’s just given. That’s where the weakness comes in. He’s given in on all kinds of dei policies on a lot of radical stuff that I’m not I don’t know if it’s in his core or not, but he I was expecting him to be an almost do nothing kind of President rather than push an agenda. I didn’t vote for an agenda. I voted to just get out of the mess we were in.
Clark. That’s not that’s
worth it. Yeah, I
totally agree. I think we owe President Biden a tremendous debt of gratitude for winning the election in 2020. I think he’s probably the only Democratic candidate who would have defeated Trump in that election. And from my vantage point, his mission was accomplished on January 21. Now, what has transpired very much like what Stewart said, is that we have not seen his leadership uniting our country. We have not seen his leadership bringing us together. We’ve continued to see partisanship and very recently he is fomented greater degrees of partisanship. And this is only increasing the likelihood of there being a president Trump round two. We need a uniter, we need somebody who can I think, prevail on what his his what President Biden ran on the concept of uniting. But that has not put into practice. As a president. You are
about to hear what only those closest to the Biden campaign already know. Even within the black community, the most loyal Democrats who voted in mass for Joe Biden in 2020, their disappointment with the President is so high, and their political loyalty is so low. And here’s the kicker. When I hear that the barbershops and the black neighborhoods are openly considering abandoning the president, I know something significant is happening. Let’s listen to why.
Andre even ask you a direct question. One of the groups that people are tracking right now are African American men, that they appear to be dropping in their support of President Biden by significant amount. I don’t ask you to speak for all of them. But could you explain why?
Absolutely, absolutely. If you don’t want to do that, if you don’t want to any barber shop, no matter where’s that cost, the country that I’m talking about, you could be in a middle class, middle class neighborhood to the hood, black man are tired of the pandering to us. We don’t even like the word minority. Because we’re in we’re in all different types of spaces. Biden has showed his car to us through all I feel to all African Americans that he really, he’s really not there for us. And I think that’s why we are preparing our families meaning our lineage, our aunties, uncles, great to hear. We may vote for Trump. And unfortunately, that’s just where it’s at. Right now.
Jacqueline, what’s going on in the community?
I’m from where I stand, and my circles, we’ve always seeing him as weak and feeble. We just had hope, you know, that in the beginning, 2020, that things would turn around and to bring us up out of Trump, he could, you know, give us some hope. But he’s just really incompetent. Not strong, doesn’t stand on any issue. He doesn’t react. He’s not there to speak about important things.
And John and Jana, you’re upset with the direction of the country. And that leads you to not vote for Joe Biden again. Please explain why. And, okay. Well, I
think that he doesn’t really do much in general, I think the only good thing he’s done is continuing Obamacare, which is now called the Affordable Care Act. But other than that, I just feel like he’s this figurehead that goes to different places. And does your typical speech like, this happened here on this day, and now we’re so proud of the people who helped solve her did this in this place on this day. He’s just like this guy that goes around to different ceremonies, and or, you know, goes and attends a town where there was a catastrophe, and does a lot of BS about how they’re going to fix it. So I only think the, the, he’s worthwhile for the healthcare situation because he kept prices down on that. But other than that, I think he does absolutely nothing. He’s just like a figurehead to go ahead.
It’s a cultural illness. I think that He’s not connecting with people. And as I said in the beginning, I think he’s doing a pretty good job the way you describe him frankly, as Okay, that’s kind of how I describe it. But he’s just not, he’s not resonating with people.
Knowing that everyone in our session voted for Joe Biden in 2020, but doesn’t want to again, in 2024, I asked him to pretend they were political consultants for just a moment. And give me one strategy or tactic to win them back. The response will surprise you. Let’s listen.
Let’s Okay, let’s have fun to hear. I’m going to be a democratic consultant. And my job is to turn all of you into Joe Biden voters. What do I need to do to get you to vote for Joe Biden in November? Laura, I’m gonna start with you.
You know, the lead thing for me is if he’s running against Trump, but I think he’s still too old, they can’t do anything about that. It’s only going to become more and more apparent, I fear. And I’m happy enough if the center will hold from and prevent some really far left type policies from happening happening. I’m willing to kind of be in this Nether land, because the Republicans aren’t going to play with him.
Bill, I need you to vote for Joe Biden, what do I need to do? Well,
I don’t think you can just point, Frank, because the man cannot all of a sudden become a leader that more Americans can get behind in the middle. I don’t think he’s a left wing problem. I don’t think he’s in the pocket of big business. But I don’t think he’s very inspiring. And the last inspiring president that we had was Donald Trump. Now he inspired a lot of people badly, but Joe doesn’t have that. Mic.
I need to get you to vote my whole career depends on you voting for Joe Biden. What do I need to do?
change careers?
Okay, well, I was build Mike Europe,
kind of want to echo what some earlier people said about him being he’s our the last speaker, I forget who that was. And he was he’s a moderate. Okay, Joe Biden is a moderate. And he has to, you know, he has to keep the extremist elements of the party, the left too far, the super far left elements of the party in line, or at least throw them, you know, some red meat every couple of times, but you get my vote. If you find a running mate, that is as much of a moderate as he is. Because he didn’t make it through that second term. Yes.
Okay. Stuart, you You shook your head so strongly, that you now have to readjust your hair is that the issue is for me?
Yes, he’s given too many things to the to the far left. And I would start with it’s too much symbolism. And I would start with Kamala Harris, who is incredibly incompetent. And I’m really scared of her and her incompetence, being the president, in two years, more of Biden, he needs to replace her with somebody who is a strong centrist Democrat,
who was the last competent vice president besides, was there? Absolutely. Well,
that’s the thing. I mean, this is I see this more like the Roosevelt 1944 situation. This is a situation where you may not you have a president who may not finish the term, they put the Democrats forced Harry Truman onto the ballot, got rid of the whoever was on there, because they didn’t think he would be a good president. And I think that same situation is here. They have to look at Biden as somebody who will not make the term. So they need somebody who is who is a solid VP, who can really be the president was put on the same way for Nixon. So I
may ask you guys, how many of you would be more likely to vote for Joe Biden if he replaced his vice presidential candidate?
It depends on who I mean, but yeah, yeah.
Oh, yeah. That’s the majority of people here. Peter Europe.
Oh, yeah, I feel like, especially coming from a conservative side of things. I’m gonna put in a box, you’re gonna give me this oldest president ever? Who’s probably not gonna make it. You’re gonna give me the most visceral person as a vice president, who is hasn’t been doing a great job and just really turns people off and I don’t think can can run the country. And then you have fascists on the other side of things like there’s nothing I can do in a situation. So if he were to bring someone in, and again, I’m just voting against the end of democracy at this point really, like I I’m not usually on the Democratic side, but it is not going to go well with Trump. And honestly, I feel like the Democrats are handing this country to Trump on a silver platter. And it’s so frustrating to me because there’s nothing I can do about it. And and we’re, besides, you know, Biden not making it for years, the country is not going to make it for years if we have Trump back in office. So like, I don’t know what to do. And Kamala Harris, when he was picking Vice President, I was like, Man Do not pick Kamala Harris. And he did it. And the only reason I voted is because I just couldn’t deal with Trump, but it’s the worst possible person to have as the vice president. And
there’s, there’s worse but that that’s what it just keeps begging the question of who is it’s just as it’s a really a statement on the stand state of affairs within the Democratic Party, that there’s nobody fighting to get into the middle. Okay. I mean, I know it’s primary season, but nobody’s fighting to get in the middle.
But like there are people fighting. That’s one of the things about President Biden is he’s not allowing that kind of competition in Democratic primaries.
Joe Biden knows that there are other Democrats, that could be Trump, he literally said it. In November, the press, he was coming off of somewhere, the press put a put microphone and cameras in his face. I think it was when when the first polling came out that he was polling behind Trump. And they said that he intimated that Well, I can’t drop out now. And then he the reporters asked him Is are you the only person that can beat Trump? And he said, there’s about 50 other Democrats that could beat Trump. So he knows that there’s there are other people who could who could beat Trump. It’s incredibly selfish. I’m so irritated. It’s incredibly selfish for Joe Biden to run again, knowing full well, he gave us all the impression he was going to be a transitional candidate. I’m irritated with talking heads on TV that he’s not, you know, this
this is this is an indictment. Oh, this is an indictment of the Democratic party’s leadership. And you can’t sit here and tell me that Joe Biden has a stranglehold on all the party ethics as much as Trump does on the Republicans all the bootlicking toadies in the in the Republican Party who were afraid of losing his you know, blessing, but Biden doesn’t have that kind of kind of juice in the Democratic Party. So let these people step up. Let the right decision makers get the heck out of the way. Okay,
I need to ask more of you. What has been going to you? I need you to vote for Joe Biden. My career depends on it. What do I need to do?
Maybe it’s wrong would help? Definitely not come Allah like, I don’t even know what she does. But just she’s just completely useless as well, like, honestly, like a stronger, better vice president that could act maybe more as a president, if that makes sense. That would give the impression that they were the president
lives, what do I need to do?
I don’t really think there’s anything you can do at this point. He’s just too old. You know, and he, he hasn’t done anything for the country, in my opinion. So there’s really nothing that I think would convince me to vote for him at this point in time. He can’t even walk up a flight of stairs. I
know. It’s so funny. He’s he it’s sad and funny all at the same time. And I really think it should end honestly,
I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s sad. And I think it’s kind of, you know, other countries are looking at us and our president and saying, Wow, this guy can’t even walk. He can’t even walk. We’re
glad we love. And that’s why there’s all these invasions and wars and things are just gonna get worse.
Robert, go ahead, fight, the
only thing Joe Biden needs to do is totally changed his media persona, he needs to be out front a lot more, a lot more visible. stop relying on old media techniques and get involved in new media techniques, we need to see a very different Joe Biden than what we’ve seen the last two years, somebody who’s got principles, who’s got fight who’s shooting straight. That’s his only chance of changing his persona is to start to engage the American people in lead which He has not done for three years. So the more you put
He’s incapable of being out more. He’s incapable of beat. That’s why they don’t that’s why they’re not putting him out more because because we’re terrified when he goes. He’s incapable. But
freaking genius. Joe Biden cut the deal with Kevin McCarthy last spring, which nobody thought they could do to get a budget so that we didn’t go into crisis, your credit for that he’s not taking credit for all the new manufacturing jobs that are opening up all over the country that got on the bill that he puts forward, and nobody knows him. And
this is where the diminished. This is where the diminished capacity comes in. Right? He knows what, just like you were saying, Tracy he’s in. He just doesn’t have Yes, left and right to to run the playbook.
But right team Biden doing this with him. I mean, because he does on his Lincoln background and there are things but they aren’t getting promoted. And if he’s not the guy to do it, the Democrats need to find somebody to be visible and do it.
VP comes in,
I’ll give Joe, all the all the credit. I’ve seen him do these deals, I see his time in the Senate as helpful when he was trying to put some of the stuff he can’t do just because the other side just refuses. They smell blood in the water, and they’re just trying to wait him out. But even if I give him all the credit in the world, he just doesn’t have the capacity anymore. Like I thank him for stopping us for at least another four years from going into authoritarianism. I thank him for what he’s done. I know it’s a grind, but it’s the hardest job in the world. And he just isn’t up to it. And I give him all the respect. I thank him for what he’s done. But I wish he just knew when to leave the party. It’s time to go home. James,
i By the way, I am not turned any of you, James, what needs to be said or done for you to pull the Biden lever?
Well, I don’t think this is possible. But in order for that to happen, I would suggest fixing the economy. Because while I’ll give him credit for creating jobs, here are there. The interest rates on houses has gone up. Gas has gone up. Even groceries had have gone up. And I’m not talking cents. I’m talking about dollars. And all this has happened pretty rapidly and is continuing to happen.
One of the biggest issues today is immigration in general and border security in particular. Joe Biden says the border secure. Is this a voting issue? And Is he correct? And I’ll start with you. Okay.
border is totally out of control. If you live in New York, hundreds of 1000s of immigrants have shown up here and the city’s paying for them instead of our homeless people. Or
we can’t I’m sorry, I can’t even afford it.
We’re not in the place that we can do this. Well, it’s million dollars in the hole the city’s projected to be shown to be shouldering because of this immigration mess. Well, billion and I’m the taxpayer in New York City that has to pay for it. It’s ridiculous.
Robert Great.
Biden has totally lost the message in this conversation. There is one storyline out there. We all hear it. We all agree with it. There’s too much uncontrolled immigration coming in. And there’s no adult in the room taking responsibility to say let’s do something about this. Biden is missing an action here. It makes him look incredibly weak and incompetent. Liz
we have for me in Chicago.
Randy and then Liz,
we have the same problem in Chicago. It’s out of control. I mean, they are living well I don’t know anymore. They’re not as many but they’re they were living in tents outside police stations. You couldn’t even walk is insane. There he there. I don’t. I don’t I don’t even know that like what he could say or do to sway people go vote for him. Unless he’s got some kind of magic fix at this point. It is Control.
Control. I agree. It’s out of control. I live in California in Los Angeles. The homeless population is you know, we dickless people can’t afford homes here. They can’t afford places to live. But all these migrants are coming in or housing and we’re putting them exactly. To go
and the migrants aren’t getting anything
she was taught you just spoke right over her. All right, okay.
It’s everybody gets upset. So you know, we’re putting we’re putting them in these hotels, including on Staten Island in New York where you know, who wants to stay in hotels after these people come in and stay in those in those hotels and why aren’t we helping our own people we’re giving $12 million to to migrants to come into our country. They have nowhere to go. They’re sitting there On the street during the day, I’m sure they’re, you know, contributing to the crime. Because what else do you do all day? You know, you’re if you’re staying in a hotel, you got to get out by a certain time and be back in at a certain time. So they’re 1216 hours. They have no money, no transportation.
What else are they permitting? Let them have worked permits immediately. Much of that goes away. That’s the government right about
getting what about giving jobs to people here that don’t have them? I mean, it’s just basic jobs there.
As I was ending this fascinating conversation, I wanted to give our participants one final opportunity to offer President Biden directly. One last piece of advice. And remember, every person, every participant, you see, voted for him in 2020. And isn’t voting for him in 2024.
Let’s listen. Jacqueline, you tend to vote for more Democrats than Republicans? If Joe Biden were listening to you right now, what would you tell him?
So as I mentioned, do something stop being silent and pussyfooting around? I sincerely believe he’s waiting for Trump to come back. So he can win. And he’ll do something about the border. I really believe that
you vote for more Democrats and Republicans, what advice do you have for Joe Biden,
I would get this deal with Ukraine, Israel, and the border done. And I would move on the border issues to get it done. And then hopefully follow that on right away with a budget deal. So he can show that he can get things done.
George, what advice would you have as a more of a Democrat? What advice would you have for Joe Biden
to identify some nuisance issue that affects everybody that he could get behind that we could all get behind? What immediately comes to mind is like sort of these quality of life crimes, and I’m thinking of scam calls, like, like any legal measures that he could get, you know, that he could lead the country on and making? I get like 20 a day.
Andre, What’s
the best advice I will have for him is if he can take if he could take the Democratic Party from being a hostage to the right to the left wing media.
Clark, what advice do you have for Joe Biden?
I’d say President Biden, thank you for your career of service to our country. You’ve been a great patriot. You have done so much throughout your career, that you defeated Donald Trump and pivoted us in a direction that gives us some hope. I thank you for your efforts. It’s time now to turn the country over to a different generation. And I hope you’ll consider that very seriously. And and take that step.
Tracy, last one, what advice do you have for Joe Biden?
Thank you for winning and 2020 and 2020, and saving the country from the horrors of Donald Trump. But please realize that you should not be running for a second term and you should drop out. And we should have an open primary process so that we can get a Democrat in place that can be competitive, that’s younger kid that can beat Donald Trump and stop undermining Tony Blinken on the world stage.
Of all this segments we filmed and all the conversations we’ve had, what you just saw, may be the most historic and impactful. The voices you heard will be the decision makers of 2024. If they remain estranged from Joe Biden, he loses. But if they return to the fold, and back and one more time, the presidency is his, what will they do? We will bring them all back in October to find out and you’ll know about it first. That’s all the time we have for this special segment of America speaks on behalf of everyone here at straight arrow news. I’m Dr. Frank Luntz. Goodbye for now.