US President Joe Biden inched closer than ever Thursday to announce he’ll seek a second term in 2024 but stopped short of setting a launch date for his widely-expected reelection campaign.
Asked during a brief exchange with reporters when he would announce he is running again, Biden teased with a smile: “When I announce it.”
The president was speaking from the hallways of Congress, where he was meeting with senators from his Democratic Party.
The 80-year-old leader and his entourage have clarified that, barring any major surprises, the question is no longer whether he will run again but when he will announce his candidacy.
If history indicates, the announcement could be next month: Both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton announced their reelection bids in April, while George W. Bush went for May.
In his push to woo voters, Biden will lean on his economic and social records and his contrasts with ex-president Donald Trump, who is already in the running for the Republican nomination.
Biden is also likely taking into account that most US presidents run for a second term and are more often than not successful.
His advanced age, however, remains one of the electorate’s main concerns.
According to his latest medical check-up, Biden is in good health and is already the oldest ever elected president and would leave the White House at age 86 if reelected. (AFP)
