President Joe Biden said in an interview on Friday that it is his “intention” to run for reelection in 2024, though he noted that no formal decision has been made on the matter.
Biden said the reason he is not making a final judgment on whether he'll formally run or not is because once he makes that conclusion, a “whole series of regulations kick in,” and then he has to treat himself as a candidate from that moment on.
In June, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Biden would mount another presidential reelection campaign.
“The president, as you know, has been asked that question many times, and he has answered it,” Jean-Pierre said. “His answer has been pretty simple, which is, yes, he’s running for reelection. I can’t say more than that.”
Biden is the oldest president in American history and will celebrate his 80th birthday in November, making him the first octogenarian commander-in-chief.
Americans Prefer Republicans on Economy
A USA Today-Ipsos poll (pdf) in late August found that 56 percent of Democratic voters are against Biden’s reelection bid, despite the vast majority approving his government experience and “major policy knowledge and expertise.”The survey also found that Americans prefer a GOP-led government because Republicans are viewed as better for the economy, especially at a time when inflation/increasing costs are the single most important issue to Americans.
During Friday’s interview, Capehart addressed Biden that “poll after poll” shows Americans trust Republicans more on the economy and suggest the GOP should control Congress.
“First of all, I’m not sure about the polls,” Biden responded, brushing off the polls. “Number two, a lot of what we’ve done and what we’ve passed has not kicked in yet.”
Biden added that he thinks it’s “a process” for Americans to make sure that what Democrats have been saying actually “really is gonna happen,” noting that’s the reason why in the final weeks leading up to the midterm elections he’s been focused on addressing Democrats’ agenda and motivate people to vote.
The president also argued that Republicans don’t have a plan to address economic concerns for Americans, saying: “They don’t have a platform other than to tear down what I’ve been able to do, we’ve been able to do. And I don’t know what they’re for.”
In September, U.S. inflation hit an annual 8.2 percent, a higher figure than in some other advanced economies. Canada (7 percent), Australia (6.1 percent), France (5.6 percent), and Switzerland (3.3 percent) are examples of countries that in September reported lower rates of inflation.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently warned that the United States is likely going to fall into a recession in the next six to nine months, adding that the Fed “waited too long and did too little” and is now “clearly catching up.”
Biden, by contrast, has mostly sought to portray the economy in optimistic terms. During a visit to Oregon last week, for example, he talked up the economy, saying it’s “strong as hell.”
