‘I Have to Run,’ Joe Biden Insists as Opposition to Reelection Campaign Mounts

President Joe Biden waves to the press as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Wendell Husebo

President Joe Biden, 81, told reporters on Tuesday that he must run for reelection after prominent Democrats implored him to reconsider a second bid against likely GOP nominee former President Donald Trump.

Biden’s claim that he must run for reelection suggests Biden believes he is the only Democrat who can defeat Trump, who is surging in the GOP primary polls.

“Would you be running if Trump wasn’t running?” a reporter asked Biden. 

“I expect so,” Biden replied. “But he is running, and — I just — I have to run.”

Watch:

Biden’s comment came on the same day he told donors he probably would not run if Trump was not running. “If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running,” Biden said, adding that Democrats “cannot let him [Trump] win.”

Many Democrats, members of the establishment, and mainstream media outlets warned Democrat Party officials that Biden might not be the best Democrat to face Trump, citing his age and falling polling numbers:

  • David Axelrod: “If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise, whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s.”
  • Bill Kristol: “President Biden has served our country well. I’m confident he’ll do so for the next year. But it’s time for an act of personal sacrifice and public spirit. It’s time to pass the torch to the next generation.”
  • NBC News: “Nervous” Democrats are raising the alarm about the “lack of urgency” surrounding President Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign.
  • Reuters: The Democrat Party does not have a “plan B” if Joe Biden does not run for reelection “for any reason.”

Polling shows terrible numbers for Biden:

  • Senate Opportunity Fund: The top three descriptions of Biden by likely registered voters depicted the 81-year-old as low energy.
  • NBC News: Biden’s approval rating tanked to the lowest level of his presidency.
  • Quinnipiac University: A majority of voters disapproved of Biden’s sluggish economy, the top issue heading into the 2024 presidential election.
  • Bloomberg News/Morning Consult: Trump leads Biden in six of seven crucial swing states.
  • CNN: Trump leads Biden by three points among “men of color” voters.
  • CNN: Trump expanded his leads over Biden.
  • YouGov: Trump edged out Biden in a head-to-head matchup.

Follow Wendell Husebø on “X” @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.

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