President is "undoubtedly" the Democratic candidate would "most like to face" in November according to a prominent political scientist, as the incumbent faces pressure to step aside following growing concerns over the 81-year-old's age and cognitive abilities. This poses a dilemma for Trump as attacking Biden too strongly over the issue could bring about his replacement as Democratic candidate. The comment was made by Mark Shanahan, an expert in American politics who teaches at the University of Surrey in the U.
K., in response to fresh polling suggesting either Vice President or 2016 Democratic nominee would perform better against Trump in November than Biden. Concern over Biden's age surged following his first presidential debate with Trump on June 27, during which the Democratic incumbent appeared at several points to .
In response a number of prominent , including members of , have urged Biden to step aside but the president is continuing to insist he will seek a second term in November. Speaking to Shanahan said: "Up until the first presidential debate, Biden was the candidate most likely to beat Trump in November. Now, undoubtedly, Biden is the candidate Trump would most like to face.
"As well as exploiting the president's obvious aging, the slightly-younger Trump will be ruthless in exploiting the disquiet among voters, Democrat politicians and the media around Biden's perceived decline. Trump has never treated an opponent with grace and understanding. Any weakness is a.
