Joe Biden plans to run for US president again, allies say

US President Joe Biden has reportedly been assuring supporters that he will run for a second term again in 2024, amid concerns among Democrats about his political standing. Biden’s approval ratings hit an all-time low following the hasty troop withdrawal from Afghanistan mid-August, and have since slid further due to increasing inflation, leading to media speculation that the 57-year-old Vice-President Kamala Harris may herself be eyeing the top office, with considerable support from within the party. “The only thing I’ve heard him say is he’s planning on running again. And I’m glad he is,” the Democratic former Connecticut senator Chris Dodd told the Washington Post in an article on Biden’s 79th birthday on November 20.

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According to the newspaper, Biden shared his decision “with a small group of donors” during a virtual fundraiser earlier this month.

Ed Rendell, former Pennsylvania governor who attended the event, said there was “no difference” in what Biden told the donors to what he stated at a White House press conference in March: that he had “never been able to plan three and a half, four years ahead.”

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Rendell told the Post: “What he is saying publicly is what he firmly believes. He will not run if he feels he can’t do the job physically or emotionally.”

Biden, who is currently the oldest president in US history, will be just 15 days short of his 82nd birthday at the time of the next election on November 5, 2024.

In 2019, while campaigning in New Hampshire, Biden said it was “totally appropriate” for voters to consider his age.

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“Just like when I was 29 [when he was elected a US senator], was I old enough? And now, am I fit enough? I’ll completely disclose everything about my health. I’m in good shape,” Biden told the rally, according to the Laconia Daily Sun.

Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned Biden’s ability to perform presidential duties due to his age and alleged health challenges. Trump, who would be 78 on election day 2024, this month claimed he is not thinking about winning the 2024 election because “we’re not going to have a country left in three years.”