Some swing voters in Warren, Michigan, questioned Joe Biden's ability to lead the country, calling him a "puppet" who's not "mentally capable of being president."
Those were among the main talking points during a focus group last week that included nine Obama-Trump voters.
- Axios conducted the session as part of its monthly Engagious/Schlesinger swing-voter focus groups ahead of the November presidential election.
What the people are saying: Sharon T. said Biden's TV appearances are just not "making any sense."
- She called the Democratic candidate and former vice president "a puppet" for wearing a mask in public and suggested he was only doing it to be politically correct.
Matt T. described Biden as "showing signs of dementia" and as "a puppet" who is "controlled by a lot of people in the deep state."
Many of the voters said the economy is their No. 1 issue, and they gave Republican President Donald Trump credit for the boom times before the coronavirus pandemic hit, according to the report.
The takeaways: Axios, a left-leaning news outlet, concluded that Trump's insinuations that Biden is controlled by nefarious interests and is mentally feeble have worked.
- While Biden has a significant advantage in the polls, his low-energy campaign has apparently let Trump define him with voters.
- "Biden's lower profile in mostly virtual events was proving no competition for Trump's provocative attacks and national bully pulpit. Many of the voters couldn't name a single achievement Biden has had in his life," Axios reported.
Only two of the voters in the focus group said they planned to vote for Biden over Trump in the November election.
- And both, according to Axios, said their votes will be "anti-Trump — not pro-Biden."
