President Biden announced his candidacy for a second four-year term in a video posted online on the morning of this Tuesday (25). The current president asked voters to let him “finish this job” and established the possibility of a rematch with former President Donald J. Trump in next year’s election race.
In the three-minute and four-second video, Biden says he has spent his first years in office fighting for democracy and freedom. And he warns that “MAGA extremists” across the country – using Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” – threaten those freedoms.
“The question we face is whether we will have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer,” Biden said in the video. “I know what I want the answer to be. This is not a moment to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for reelection.”
Biden’s announcement brings the United States one step closer to a likely rematch with Donald Trump, who has falsely claimed for over two years that the 2020 elections were stolen.
For Biden, the announcement marks a crucial moment in a political career that spans half a century. The decision challenges the desires of many Democratic voters who are calling for a younger, more progressive leader that reflects the diversity of the Democratic Party. At the same time, the candidacy underscores Biden’s strength among party leaders, including those who believe he has the best chance of defeating Donald Trump or another Republican.
Low Approval
Biden, alongside Ronald Reagan, has the second lowest approval rating among all presidents in the last 70 years.
The latest CNN poll found that President Biden’s approval rating is at 41%, with 56% disapproval.
The 41% approval rating is similar to that of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter (40%) at this stage of their presidencies.
Who Will Biden Compete Against for the Party Nomination?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmental attorney, launched his candidacy for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination last week in Boston.
Kennedy, 69, is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of former U.S. Attorney General and assassinated presidential candidate in 1968, Robert Kennedy.
The Democratic National Committee made it clear, however, that the party apparatus is aligned with Biden. There are no plans for ongoing primary debates.
Source: The New York Times and CNN