Despite his age and unpopularity, President Joe Biden insists he will run for reelection in 2024.
Two people with knowledge of the conversation told The Hill that Biden wants to run and that he is the only candidate who could beat former President Donald Trump, should he run again.
“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 said.
Biden’s approval ratings continue to drop, but it’s his age that has fueled most concerns about his future.
Biden was the oldest president to take office at 78. He would be 82 years old at the start of his second term if successfully reelected.
On his unpopularity, Democrat strategists say there’s time to recover, but midterms will paint a clearer picture.
For his part, Biden maintains publicly that he intends to run, but he can’t rule out “fate”.
“I’m a great respecter of fate,” Biden said during an interview with ABC’s David Muir in December. “Fate has intervened in my life many, many times. If I’m in the health I am in now, if I’m in good health, then in fact I would run again.”
