On Monday, President Biden said he plans on running for reelection in 2024, but he’s not yet ready to make an official announcement.
Biden spoke with NBC’s Al Roker for a “Today” show segment on the White House Easter egg roll. Roker asked the president if he had plans to host more of the events in the future, a nod to his reelection plans.
“I plan on at least three or four more Easter egg rolls. Maybe five. Maybe six, what the hell? I don’t know,” Biden said with a smile.
“Are you saying that you would be taking part in our upcoming election in 2024? Help a brother out, make some news for me,” Roker said.
“I plan on running, Al, but we’re not prepared to announce it yet,” Biden responded.
In February, First Lady Jill Biden said that the timing of the formal announcement was “pretty much” all that was left to be decided.
Biden has for months said he intends to run for a second term, but the timeline for an official announcement has repeatedly slipped. Advisers first indicated the president may announce his plans around February’s State of the Union address, but when that didn’t happen, reports suggested Biden would announce in the spring.
The latest reports are that Biden may wait until the summer to announce, with those around him arguing there is no major rush and a delayed announcement would allow him to focus on the job of being president and promoting his agenda to the public.
There are currently two announced candidates for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination — best-selling self-help author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert Kennedy Jr.
No prominent Democratic officeholders appear to be considering a challenge to the incumbent, however.
The lack of any formidable rivals in his party has given Mr Biden the ability to set the timing of any formal announcement without significant external pressure.
His advisers have said he sees an advantage in drawing a contrast between his role governing the nation while his potential Republican opponents engage in partisan campaigning or — in Donald Trump’s case — deal with the fallout from a criminal indictment.
Last week, the former president pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court to falsifying business records.
Behind the scenes, however, Biden and his advisers are quietly assembling a campaign team and staffing the independent political action committee, Future Forward, that will provide financial support for the president’s re-election effort.
Biden, who would be 82 at the start of a second term, has yet to draw a major primary challenger despite some concerns about his age.
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