Washington Post
President Joe Biden and members of his inner circle have assured allies in recent days that he plans to be re-elected in 2024 as they take steps to allay concerns about the 79-year-old president’s commitment to a new campaign and growing Democratic fears. the coming republican return to power.
The effort comes as the broader democratic community becomes increasingly concerned after a difficult six-month period in which Biden’s national approval rating fell more than a dozen points, to a low of 40, amid rising inflation concerns, Democratic struggles in Washington. and instability. public health efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The message is intended in part to dampen the view of many Democrats that Biden may not seek re-election given his age and declining popularity, and will effectively freeze the field for Vice President Kamala Harris and other potential presidential candidates.
“The only thing I’ve heard from him is that he plans to run again,” said former Senator Chris Dodd, DC, a friend of Biden. “And I’m glad he is.”
At a virtual fundraising event this month, Biden told a small group of donors that he plans to run for a second term, highlighting a message he gave the country in March at his first press conference at the White House, before warning that he would “never was unable to plan. three and a half, probably four years ahead. “
“What he says publicly is what he strongly believes in. It makes no difference, ”said former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, who attended the fundraising event. “He won’t run if he feels like he can’t do the job, physically or emotionally.”
But interviews with 28 Democratic strategists and officials, many of whom wished to remain anonymous in order to speak more frankly, show that those assurances have not stopped internal debate about whether Biden will appear in the bid.
Some Democrats are skeptical of any public or private signals that Biden and his team send for re-election, arguing that they have an incentive to show interest in a second term, regardless of his true intentions, so as not to weaken his position. Others fear another presidential bid will include a much stricter timetable than the relatively calm 2020 campaign, which was mostly conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even among those in close contact with Biden’s inner circle, interpretations of his intentions differ. One Democrat who campaigned said they can’t remember a single person they spoke to in the past month who sees Biden’s opportunity to run again as real.
“I hear this question being asked every day,” another Democratic veteran of recent presidential campaigns said about whether Biden will run for re-election. “Nobody ever asked this question about Barack Obama. Nobody has ever asked this question about Donald Trump. ”
Florida-based lawyer John Morgan, who was one of Biden’s largest donors in 2020, said he was not sure if Biden would seek re-election.
“What will his health be like in the next three years?” he thought aloud. “All you have to do is look at the death tables in America to understand what I’m talking about.”
Biden received a medical check Friday – the day before his 79th birthday Saturday…
