Former Vice President Joe Biden officially announced his intent to run for the White House today on April 25, becoming the 20th Democratic candidate to run in the 2020 election. The announcement was made on social media through a 3:29-minute video posted on Biden’s Twitter account, titled “Joe Biden For President: American Is An Idea” although the formal start of his campaign will actually be next week, on Monday, April 29 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Joe Biden, 76, was President Obama’s Vice President from 2009 to 2017, after serving as a Senator from Deleware for almost 40 years and standing out as a Washington establishment insider. Nevertheless, Biden can be considered among the top Democratic frontrunners and is possibly, in the long run, the most serious challenge to President Trump’s reelection campaign.
Biden previously ran for the presidency in 1988 and 2008 but declined to run in 2016 for personal reasons in the midst of worries of a potential Clinton campaign announcement. His 2020 run is framed in a distinct way, proclaiming it as part of a fight for “America’s Soul.” Biden went after Trump personally, focusing on his controversial remarks following the events in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017. Trump has
previously clarified that what he meant by his “good people on both sides” comment was in the context of those people protesting the removal of historical statues, not the extremists.
Trump responded on Twitter this morning to Biden’s announcement with a welcome message, dubbing him “Sleepy Joe,” and doubting his ability to win the Democratic primary, making the point to say that Biden’s competition would come from the far left self-proclaimed socialists who have gained in popularity. He also accepted the challenge if Biden manages to make it to the 2020 general election.
Furthermore, President Trump retweeted two statements from the
Republican Party’s chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in which she mentioned the 453,000 manufacturing jobs created in the Rust Belt during the Trump administration and the 193,000 manufacturing jobs lost during the Obama administration. In another tweet, the GOP chairwoman questioned Biden’s plan to launch his campaign next week in Pennsylvania, “a state where the unemployment rate just dropped to the lowest level *ever recorded.* Pennsylvania was a crucial part of Trump’s 2016 electoral college victory.
Other immediate reactions on social media, included the endorsement of Senators Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.,) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) as well as a strong statement by former Obama adviser David Axelrod.
Among the many immediate reactions from the mainstream media, MSNBC’s Morning Joe stood out when former Republican Congressman, turned liberal pundit Joe Scarborough said, “Joe Biden and other candidates, they need to ignore the blue check marks and what the blue check marks say and what the Washington elites say and what the Manhattan elites say.”
Many commentators who support Biden are also ignoring his scandals that many believe
the media is purposefully covering up. Also, as an establishment insider, it is uncertain how much popularity he will have, especially leading up to the 2020 primaries.
