President Joe Biden on Friday reiterated his intention to seek a second term in an exclusive interview with ABC News anchor David Muir, and while he said it is “legitimate” for people to raise questions about his age, he said it is not part of his calculation on whether to seek reelection.
While Biden once again said he intends to run, he also hinted that the announcement could be a ways off.
“[M]y intention is — from– has — intention has been from the beginning to run. But there’s too many other things we have to finish in the near term before I start a campaign,” he told Muir at the White House,
At age 80, Biden is the oldest serving president in U.S. history and questions about his age that followed him during his 2020 campaign have continued throughout his presidency.
Biden’s comments come after first lady Jill Biden weighed in on a possible reelection campaign in an interview Friday with the Associated Press during a trip to Africa.
“She was asked just today, Is all that’s left at this point simply setting a time and a place for the announcement?’ And she said, ‘Pretty much.’ Do you agree with your wife’s assessment?” Muir asked Biden.
“As my mother would say, “God love her.” Yeah. Look, I– I s– I meant what I said. I’ve got other things to finish before I get into a full-blown campaign.” Biden replied.
While the president did not commit to a reelection bid outright, it appears there is growing support among his family, who Biden has said would play a big role in his deliberations over seeking a second term.
Poll results published by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll shows half of Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents think their party has a better chance of winning the White House in 2024 with Biden as its nominee.
That is in contrast to a poll released by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research
earlier this month which found just 37% of Democrats wanted him to seek a second term.
Thursday’s poll results, however, put Biden in a better place than former President Donald Trump, who announced his candidacy in November last year. It found 54% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the GOP has a better chance of winning the presidency in 2024 with someone other than Trump as the party’s nominee.
Read more via ABC News
