President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he is not the only person who can defeat former President Donald Trump — a comment that comes one day after the incumbent suggested that he might not be running if Trump was not also seeking a second term.
A reporter asked Biden if he thinks there are any Democrats who could beat Trump other than himself, to which Biden quipped, “Probably 50 of them.” Pressed on whether that is his belief, Biden added, “No, I’m not the only one who can beat him, but I will beat him.” Biden didn’t answer a follow-up query on who he might have in mind.
Reporter: “Do you think there are any Democrats who could beat Donald Trump other than you?”
President Biden: “Probably 50 of them.”
Reporter: “You do believe that there are?”
President Biden: “I'm not the only one who can beat him, but I will beat him.” pic.twitter.com/01sRENfJzP
— The Recount (@therecount) December 6, 2023
During the 2020 election cycle, when he was campaigning for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Biden cast himself as the candidate who could beat Trump “like a drum.” There were early signs that he might only limit himself to one term, though Biden is now engaged in a re-election campaign in which he has claimed “our democracy is at stake.”
Still, Biden is facing low approval numbers and the president’s tendency to lose his train of thought while speaking, along with moments caught on camera where he has tripped or fallen over, have spurred concerns — even among Democrats — about Biden’s ability to lead effectively at the age of 81.
Biden is the clear front-runner for his party’s nomination, facing challenges from long shot candidates such as Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and self-help author Marianne Williamson, but polling on a 2020 rematch has moved lately in Trump’s favor. In addition, there has been speculation that a high-profile Democrat such a California Governor Gavin Newsom could jump into the race if Biden drops out while Vice President Kamala Harris is stuck with her own low approval ratings.
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At a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Tuesday, Biden told donors that he was “not sure” he would be running for re-election in 2024 if Trump wasn’t also competing. “But we cannot let him win,” he added. That appears to be a shift from Biden’s stance as recently as April, when he said he thought that would still be running again even if Trump was not.
Trump responded to Biden’s comments on Tuesday in a Fox News town hall that evening. “Well, I think somebody gave him a talking point. They thought that would sound good,” Trump said. He also predicted that Biden will not be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 2024. “I think he’s in bad shape physically,” Trump said, adding later, “mentally I would say he is possibly equally as bad, and maybe even worse.”
Polling shows Trump has a clear lead for the Republican presidential nomination. But Trump still faces his own challenges, such as a flurry of criminal and civil cases that are lining up trial dates throughout the 2024 election calendar. And he must still prevail over GOP rivals including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. And there are other factors at play, such as a third-party run by Robert Kennedy Jr., who has received double-digit support in some polling examining a three-way matchup.