on Tuesday formally announced that asking voters to give him more time to 害羞草研究所渇inish this job害羞草研究所� and extend the run of for another four years.
Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, is betting and more than 50 years of experience in Washington will count for more than concerns over his age. He faces a smooth path to winning his party害羞草研究所檚 nomination, with no serious Democratic rivals. But he害羞草研究所檚 still set for a hard-fought struggle to retain the presidency in a bitterly divided nation.
The announcement, in , comes on the four-year anniversary of when Biden in 2019, promising to heal the 害羞草研究所渟oul of the nation害羞草研究所� amid 害羞草研究所� a goal that has remained elusive.
害羞草研究所淚 said we are in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are,害羞草研究所� Biden said. 害羞草研究所淭he question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer.害羞草研究所�
While the prospect of seeking reelection has been a given for most modern presidents, that害羞草研究所檚 not always been the case for Biden. A have indicated they would prefer he not run, in part because of his age 害羞草研究所� concerns Biden has called but ones he did not address head-on in the launch video.
Yet few things have unified Democratic voters like the prospect of Trump returning to power. And Biden害羞草研究所檚 political standing within his party stabilized after Democrats notched a stronger-than-expected performance in The president is set to run again on the same themes that buoyed his party last fall, particularly on preserving .
害羞草研究所淔reedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There害羞草研究所檚 nothing more important. Nothing more sacred,害羞草研究所� Biden said in the launch video, depicting Republican extremists as trying to roll back access to abortion, , limit voting rights and they disagree with. 害羞草研究所淎round the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭his is not a time to be complacent,害羞草研究所� Biden added. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 why I害羞草研究所檓 running for reelection.害羞草研究所�
As the contours of the campaign begin to take shape, Biden plans to campaign on his record. He spent his first two years as president combating the coronavirus pandemic and pushing through major bills such as and legislation to promote high-tech manufacturing and climate measures. With Republicans now , Biden has shifted his focus to implementing those massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements.
The president also has multiple policy goals and unmet promises from his first campaign that he害羞草研究所檚 asking voters on giving him another chance to fulfill.
害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 finish this job. I know we can,害羞草研究所� Biden said in the video, repeating a mantra he said a dozen times during his in February, listing everything from passing a ban on assault-style weapons and lowering the cost of prescription drugs to codifying a national right to abortion after the Supreme Court害羞草研究所檚 ruling last year .
Buoyed by , Biden plans to continue to cast all Republicans as embracing what he calls 害羞草研究所� a reference to Trump害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淢ake America Great Again害羞草研究所� slogan 害羞草研究所� regardless of whether his predecessor ends up on the 2024 ballot.
In the video, Biden speaks over brief clips and photographs of key moments in his presidency, snapshots of diverse Americans and flashes of outspoken Republican foes, including Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. He exhorts supporters that 害羞草研究所渢his is our moment害羞草研究所� to 害羞草研究所渄efend democracy. Stand up for our personal freedoms. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights.害羞草研究所�
Biden also plans to point to his work over the past two years shoring up American alliances, leading a global coalition to support Ukraine害羞草研究所檚 defenses against Russia害羞草研究所檚 invasion and . But public support in the U.S. for Ukraine has softened in recent months, and some voters question the tens of billions of dollars in flowing to Kyiv.
The president faces lingering criticism over his administration害羞草研究所檚 after nearly 20 years of war, which undercut the image of competence he aimed to portray, and he害羞草研究所檚 the target of GOP attacks over his immigration and economic policies.
As a candidate in 2020, Biden pitched voters on his familiarity with the halls of power in Washington and his relationships around the world. But even back then, he was acutely aware of voters害羞草研究所� concerns about his age.
害羞草研究所淟ook, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else,害羞草研究所� Biden said in March 2020, as he campaigned in Michigan with younger Democrats, including now-Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country.害羞草研究所�
Three years later, the president now 80, Biden allies say his time in office has demonstrated that he saw himself as more of a transformational than a transitional leader.
Still, many Democrats would prefer that Biden didn害羞草研究所檛 run again. A from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows just 47% of Democrats say they want him to seek a second term, up from 37% in February. And Biden害羞草研究所檚 verbal 害羞草研究所� and occasional physical 害羞草研究所� stumbles have become fodder for critics trying to cast him as unfit for office.
Biden, on multiple occasions, has , saying simply, 害羞草研究所淲atch me.害羞草研究所�
During in February, his physician, Dr. Kevin O害羞草研究所機onnor, declared him 害羞草研究所渉ealthy, vigorous害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渇it害羞草研究所� to handle his White House responsibilities.
Aides acknowledge that while some in his party might prefer an alternative to Biden, there is anything but consensus within their diverse coalition on who that might be. And they insist that when Biden is compared with whomever the GOP nominates, Democrats and independents will rally around Biden.
For now, the 76-year-old Trump is the favorite to emerge as the Republican nominee, creating the potential of a historic sequel to . But Trump faces significant hurdles of his own, including the designation of being the first former president to . The remaining GOP field is volatile, with DeSantis emerging as an early alternative to Trump. DeSantis害羞草研究所� stature is also in question, however, amid questions about his readiness to campaign outside of his increasingly Republican-leaning state.
To prevail again, Biden will need the alliance of young voters and Black voters 害羞草研究所� particularly women 害羞草研究所� along with blue-collar Midwesterners, moderates and disaffected Republicans who helped him win in 2020. He害羞草研究所檒l have to again carry in the Upper Midwest, while protecting his position in Georgia and Arizona, longtime GOP strongholds he narrowly won last time.
Biden害羞草研究所檚 reelection bid comes as the nation weathers uncertain economic crosscurrents. after hitting the highest rate in a generation, but unemployment is at a 50-year low, and the economy is showing signs of resilience despite Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
害羞草研究所淚f voters let Biden 害羞草研究所榝inish the job,害羞草研究所� inflation will continue to skyrocket, crime rates will rise, more fentanyl will cross our open borders, children will continue to be left behind, and American families will be worse off,害羞草研究所� Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
Presidents typically try to delay their reelection announcements to maintain the advantages of incumbency and skate above the political fray for as long as possible while their rivals trade jabs. But the leg up offered by being in the White House can be rickety 害羞草研究所� three of the last seven presidents have lost reelection, most recently Trump in 2020.
Biden害羞草研究所檚 announcement is roughly consistent with the timeline followed by then-President Barack Obama, who waited until April 2011 to declare for a second term and didn害羞草研究所檛 hold a reelection rally until May 2012. Trump launched his reelection bid on the day he was sworn in in 2017.
Biden is not expected to dramatically alter his day-to-day schedule as a candidate 害羞草研究所� at least not immediately 害羞草研究所� with aides believing his strongest political asset is showing the American people that he is governing. And if he follows the Obama playbook, he may not hold any formal campaign rallies until well into 2024.
On Tuesday, Biden named White House adviser to serve as campaign manager and who ran Sen. Raphael Warnock害羞草研究所檚 reelection campaign in Georgia last year, to serve as principal deputy campaign manager. The campaign co-chairs will be Reps. Lisa Blunt-Rochester, Jim Clyburn and Veronica Escobar; Sens. Chris Coons and Tammy Duckworth; entertainment mogul and Democratic mega-donor Jeffrey Katzenberg; and Whitmer.
On the heels of the announcement Tuesday, Biden was set to deliver remarks to union members before hosting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for at the White House. He plans to meet with party donors in Washington later this week.
害羞草研究所擹eke Miller, The Associated Press
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