On Tuesday, President Joe Biden confirmed his intention to run for a second term in the 2024 presidential election, testing whether Americans are willing to grant the 80-year-old Democrat, already the oldest U.S. president in history, another four years in office.
Biden announced his decision in a polished video released by his new campaign team, emphasizing his commitment to defending American democracy. The video begins with scenes from the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Biden stated, "When I ran for president four years ago, I said we're in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are. This is not a time to be complacent. That's why I'm running for re-election."
"Let's finish this job. I know we can," he added.
Biden criticized Republican policies as threats to American freedom, pledging to combat efforts to restrict women's healthcare, slash Social Security, and ban books while condemning "MAGA extremists." Trump, who popularized the "Make America Great Again" slogan, may be Biden's Republican opponent in the November 2024 election.
During Biden's first two years in office, he secured Congressional approval for billions in federal funds to address the COVID-19 pandemic and new infrastructure projects, and oversaw the lowest unemployment rates since 1969. However, a 40-year high in inflation has tarnished his economic achievements.
Biden's age makes his re-election campaign a historic and risky endeavor for the Democratic Party, which faces a challenging electoral landscape to maintain control of the Senate in 2024 and is currently the minority in the House of Representatives.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on April 19 revealed that Biden's approval ratings have stagnated at 39%, and his age has raised concerns among some Americans. If re-elected, he would be 86 by the end of a second term, nearly a decade older than the average U.S. male's life expectancy.
Doctors declared Biden "fit for duty" after a February examination, citing his alcohol-free lifestyle and regular exercise routine. The White House asserts that his track record demonstrates his mental acuity for the demanding job.
Vice President Kamala Harris will again join Biden as his running mate in the 2024 election.
Biden's re-election announcement follows Trump's November declaration that he would pursue a second term after losing the 2020 race to Biden.
In a statement regarding Biden's candidacy, Trump criticized the president's record on immigration, inflation, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"American families are being decimated by the worst inflation in half a century. Banks are failing," Trump said on his social media platform. "We have surrendered our energy independence, just like we surrendered in Afghanistan," he added.
As an incumbent, Biden is unlikely to face significant competition from within his party. No senior Democrats have indicated plans to challenge him, and he has assembled a team of up-and-coming Democrats, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, to advise his campaign.
Potential and declared Republican presidential candidates have begun framing the 2024 election around reducing government spending amid ongoing high inflation, restricting abortion, addressing crime in Democratic-led cities, and curbing illegal immigration.
Leading Republican contenders Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seek to limit transgender children's access to sports teams and gender-affirming healthcare, as well as restrict how schools teach LGBTQ+ issues and the history of slavery and racial disparities in the United States.
Trump faces a civil lawsuit trial on Tuesday over writer E.Jean Carroll's allegation that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump, who is not required to attend the trial, denied raping Carroll in an October 2022 post on his Truth Social platform.
In the 2020 election, Biden focused on uniting the country, rebuilding the economy, and improving control over the COVID-19 pandemic. With most pandemic restrictions lifted in the United States, the 2024 race is expected to be a significantly different, more traditional campaign.
Despite losing to Biden by 7 million votes in 2020, Trump refused to concede defeat, falsely claiming widespread electoral fraud. His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to support his claims but failed to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's victory.
Biden's campaign video suggests he will remind voters of these events while highlighting his administration's successful handling of the economic recovery from the pandemic-induced downturn, particularly in the labor market.
Other possible campaign themes include strong U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and the White House's claims that Republicans aim to dismantle federal healthcare and popular programs for older voters.
This summer, Biden is challenging Republicans to find common ground on raising the U.S. debt ceiling before the country defaults in a matter of months.
According to a February Reuters/Ipsos poll, 59% of Democrats described President Biden as "too old to work in government."
