President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he will run for reelection in 2024 if he remains in “the health I’m in now,” pushing back against rumors he may choose to leave office after one term while leaving open the possibility that his circumstances could change.
Biden made the remark during an interview on ABC News with “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir.
“If I’m in the health I’m in now – I’m in good health – then, in fact, I would run again,” Biden said.
EXCLUSIVE: @DavidMuir goes one-on-one with President Biden on closing the deal on his “Build Back Better” bill – and a possible rematch with Donald Trump in 2024. (2/2) https://t.co/IZOZPGRuLo pic.twitter.com/MI6WBggSk1
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) December 23, 2021
The president was also asked if a potential rematch with former President Donald Trump would make him more likely to run for reelection.
“You’re trying to tempt me now. Sure. Why would I not run against Donald Trump if he were the nominee? That would increase the prospect of running,” Biden added.
Pres. Biden to @DavidMuir on running for re-election and a possible rematch against Donald Trump: “Why would I not run against Donald Trump for the nominee? That’ll increase the prospect of running.” https://t.co/Yr3yIijHHF pic.twitter.com/g4JXqL4mgV
— ABC News (@ABC) December 23, 2021
The interview also addressed the coronavirus pandemic, with Biden claiming the nation is in a better place than a year ago, yet admitting he wished he had ordered more tests “two months ago.”
EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Biden tells @DavidMuir he does not consider difficulty in finding tests a failure, but concedes: “I wish I had thought about ordering a half a billion…two months ago.” https://t.co/3FZaQXZksE
— ABC News (@ABC) December 23, 2021
Speculation has continued concerning whether Biden will run again in 2024. A New York Times columnist recently urged Biden — who turned 79 last month and would be 82 if he were sworn into office again in 2025 — to not run for president again. The Daily Wire previously reported:
Bret Stephens, a conservative and strong critic of former President Donald Trump, went so far as to say that Biden should announce his decision not to run as soon as possible to give fellow Democrats time to prepare to succeed him in the White House.
“Is it a good idea for Joe Biden to run for reelection in 2024? And, if he runs again and wins, would it be good for the United States to have a president who is 86 — the age Biden would be at the end of a second term?” he wrote. “I put these questions bluntly because they need to be discussed candidly, not just whispered constantly,” Stephens wrote in a piece headlined, “Biden Should Not Run Again — and He Should Say He Won’t.”
Some rumors have also circulated that Vice President Kamala Harris may not run on the 2024 ticket with Biden.
Last week, The Daily Wire detailed the conversation between a reporter who asked White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “I’m hoping you can clear something up here when it comes to the question of 2024. The Vice President did an interview with The Wall Street Journal. She was asked if she assumed that Biden would run again, and she didn’t say yes. She just said that the two of them hadn’t talked about it. Of course, you all and the President himself have said that he does plan to seek reelection. So what’s the disconnect here?”
“I can’t speak to a conversation that the Vice President and the President has,” Jean-Pierre answered. “I could only say what and reiterate what Jen (Psaki) has said and what the President has said himself. He is planning to run for reelection in 2024. I don’t have any more to add to that.”
The reporter pressed, “But just to be clear, when the President says he plans to run again, he means with Harris on the ticket?”
“Yes, he does. There’s no change,” Jean-Pierre replied. “Yes. Yes.”