CNN Proposes 11 Candidates Who Could Replace Joe Biden amid Concerns About Age, Lack of Popularity

President Joe Biden attends a virtual coronavirus summit during the 76th Session of the Un
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Wendell Husebo

CNN suggested Monday 11 candidates who could replace President Joe Biden on the Democrat primary ticket in 2024.

The establishment news network, which the White House has courted to tamp down coverage of Biden’s poor economic record, admitted the president’s “age” and “ongoing political struggles” are a factor in 2024 considerations.

Biden’s approval ratings have dipped into the high 30s amid 40 year-high inflation, the southern border crisis, and the deadly Afghan withdrawal that left hundreds of Americans stranded in the country. He will turn 82 years old two weeks after the 2024 election.

If Biden does not run, CNN suggested the following 11 candidates might be interested in his job:

  1. Vice President Kamala Harris
  2. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
  3. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  4. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  5. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D)
  6. Former Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landrieu (D)
  7. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo
  8. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D)
  9. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D)
  10. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D)
  11. Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives Stacey Abrams (D)

On Monday White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about rumors regarding Biden’s “political fate” and whether Democrats will replace Biden in 2024.

“The White House’s message is focused on what the American people elected the president to do,” Psaki said. “The President has every intention of running for reelection.”

Fueling the talk about Biden’s potential replacement in 2024 is the New York Times, which published a Sunday article saying “there is no shortage of chatter about the options if he continues to falter.”

The Times article suggested the Democrat Party could face a possible contested primary between Democrat candidates over fears of Biden’s “unpopularity” and a “Trump comeback.”

“A nexus of anxious currents in the Democratic Party has stoked speculation about a possible contested primary in two years,” the publication wrote. “On top of concerns about Mr. Biden’s age and present unpopularity, there is an overarching fear among Democrats of the possibility of a Trump comeback — and a determination that the party must run a strong candidate to head it off.”

Meanwhile, an October NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll revealed a plurality of Democrats believe Biden is not the best candidate to retain the White House in 2024.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø

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