A question that has repeatedly been asked in recent months, but left meaningfully unanswered, is whether President Joe Biden will seek reelection in 2024.
According to Fox News, Biden, in a new interview, suggested that, if he does seek reelection, it will be, at least in part, because first lady Jill Biden wants him to.
The interview took place Friday on MSNBC’s The ReidOut. At one point, Biden was asked whether the first lady would be in favor of Biden seeking reelection.
“My wife thinks that we’re doing something very important and that I shouldn’t walk away from it,” Biden said.
Biden on 2024
Prior to that question, the interviewer, Jonathan Capehart, once again asked Biden whether he intends to seek reelection in 2024. Biden gave his usual answer.
“I have not made that formal decision, but it’s my intention – my intention to run again. And, we have time to make that decision,” Biden said.
Biden explained that part of the reason why he has not made a “judgment about formally running or not running [is that] once [he] make[s] that judgment, a whole series of regulations kick in,” which will result in him treating himself “as a candidate.”
Biden also suggested that his 2024 decision may depend on who his opponent is. He seemed to imply that if it is former President Donald Trump, he might be more inclined to run. This is in line with previous statements Biden has made claiming that a large part of the reason why he ran in 2020 was to prevent Trump from getting reelected.
Background
This has been Biden’s standard response to reelection questions for some time now, that it’s his “intention” to run, but that he has yet to formally make that decision.
One thing that Biden didn’t talk about in this interview is the fact that there have been multiple reports and numerous polls that indicate that a sizable percentage of Democrats do not want Biden to seek reelection. These Democrats have pointed to such things as Biden’s old age and his ineffectiveness.
It’s hard to believe that Biden would still seek reelection over the objections of a significant number of Democrats. But, that’s his “intention.”
It appears that Biden’s “formal” 2024 decision will not be made until after the midterm elections.