Joe Biden's 2024 campaign conceded that the upcoming presidential battle will be a "tough, close race" as signs of trouble emerge for the incumbent.

“At the end of the day, we know this is going to be a tough, close race,” a Biden campaign aide told reporters Monday. “That’s why we’re investing in multiple ways to 270 electoral votes.”

Biden campaign's admission

The outcome of the 2020 election came down to about 50,000 votes spread among a handful of swing states, some of which Biden flipped to the Democratic column for the first time in decades.

This year's race - all but certain to be a rematch - is sure to be close, and Democrats are taking nothing for granted with polls showing Trump ahead in states like Nevada, Michigan, and Arizona.

The Biden campaign's vulnerabilities were on display Tuesday as Biden left his cocoon behind to campaign in Arizona and Nevada. The latter state hasn't been won by a Republican president since 2004, but Trump is currently leading Biden there by an average of more than 5 points.

Both states have large numbers of Latinos, a demographic that has been tipping toward Trump in recent polls.

Biden the demagogue

Faced with low approval ratings, mounting doubts about his age and stubborn inflation, Biden has resorted to rank demagoguery, casting Trump as an existential threat to "our democracy."

Trump has returned the favor, casting Biden as a dictator who is desperate to jail his political rival.

The presumptive Republican nominee for president is facing numerous criminal prosecutions, which he has blasted as a coordinated effort to interfere in the election. The legal efforts have stalled, leaving Democrats increasingly exasperated.

Meanwhile, the economy remains challenging for many Americans, with stubborn inflation putting a damper on forecasts of interest rate cuts as high housing prices lock out first-time homebuyers.

The Federal Reserve is expected to meet Wednesday to discuss its next moves.

While Trump is showing momentum, Republicans remain vigilant about shoring up election integrity, with the specter of mail-in voting continuing to cast its shadow four years after the COVID pandemic.

The Biden campaign emphasized "early outreach, mobilizing our diverse coalition, and getting boots on the ground is how we’re going to win.”

“In tight races, this work matters,” the campaign said.