President Joe Biden told reporters he has yet to make a final decision on running for re-election in 2024.
He and the White House have repeatedly stated the soon-to-be 80-year-old’s plans to run for a second term.
At a press conference following the midterm elections, Biden said he is a “great respecter of fate.” He alluded to the influence his wife, Jill Biden, and his family have over his decision.
“I think everybody wants me to run, but we’re going to have discussions about it,” he said, per Fox News. “I hope Jill and I get a little time to sneak away for a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and my guess is it will be early next year when we make that judgment.”
Exit polls conducted by CBS News found just 66% of voters do not want Biden to seek the presidency for the second time in 2024 while just 30% are in favor. At least 43% of Democrats oppose Biden seeking re-election. Additionally, 54% of respondents have an unfavorable opinion of Biden and 46% believe Biden’s policies are hurting America.
The president’s approval ratings have been consistently low throughout his time in office. On Nov. 8, The Washinton Times reported Biden had a 39% – a 1% decline from the month before.
“Mr. Biden’s low approval ratings have kept him on the sidelines in key midterm races. He has stayed away from tight House and Senate races in swing states and instead campaigned in solidly blue states like Maryland and New York,” reported the outlet.
Still, some political professionals believe the midterm elections were beneficial to Biden as the Democratic Party did not suffer as any losses as previously predicted.
“President Biden will and should run for re-election, and he’ll win. He has led a tremendously successful administration, and the American people recognize that. Republicans and pundits alike continue to underestimate him at their own peril,” Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth told Reuters.
When discussing his plans to run for a second term in March of 2021, Biden would not say who he expected his Republican challenger to be, citing divisions in the party.
“I have no idea if there will be a Republican Party,” he said, per CBS News.
At a rally for JD Vance in Ohio on Nov. 7, former President Donald Trump teased an impending announcement about his decision regarding a possible run in 2024.
“Not to detract from tomorrow’s very important, even critical, election, and I would say in the strongest way it’s a country-saving election … I’m going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday, November 15, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida,” said Trump.
