President Biden has told former President Barack Obama that he is planning to run for re-election, according to The Hill. In September 2021, the President and aides had reportedly told allies he was planning to run for a second term. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Biden’s plans to run again in November. During an interview with ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir in December 2021, Biden stated he would consider re-election if he “was in good health.”
Biden and Obama had lunch together earlier this month, but it is unclear exactly when the two discussed the 2024 election. If re-elected, Biden would be 82 at the start of his second term. At 79, he is already the oldest President elected in history.
“[Biden] wants to run and he’s clearly letting everyone know,” said one of the two sources familiar with the conversations between Obama and Biden.
“I believe he thinks he’s the only one who can beat Trump. I don’t think he thinks there’s anyone in the Democratic party who can beat Trump and that’s the biggest factor,” the source familiar with the Obama-Biden talks said.
The source also told The Hill that Biden remains the most likely Democratic candidate to defeat Trump despite his faltering approval ratings. A CNBC-All American poll has Biden at 38% – a survey of 800 Americans nationwide was conducted April 7 through April 10 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5%. The top issues chosen were inflation and the War of Ukraine, although there were different choices on who was to blame.
Indeed, 69% of the public blame supply chain disruption, while 66% say it’s the result of corporations taking advantage of the situation. Meanwhile, 55% point to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 49% blame Biden’s policies. Just over three in 10 participants say it’s the Federal Reserve and 28% cite President Trump’s policies.