United States President Joe Biden has officially launched his campaign for re-election in 2024, becoming the Democratic frontrunner in a race that could pit him for a second time against Republican contender Donald Trump, according to his campaign video.
Biden’s announcement in a video on Tuesday came on the fourth anniversary of the start of his first successful presidential bid.
But the Democratic president faces some of the lowest approval ratings of his tenure so far, and his age – Biden is currently the oldest person to ever hold the highest US office – has spurred questions about his re-election prospects.
A majority of Democrats have said they would back Biden, 80, against a Republican challenger in next year’s election, a recent poll found.
But the Democratic president faces some of the lowest approval ratings of his tenure so far, and his age — Biden is currently the oldest person to hold the US’s highest office — has spurred questions about his re-election prospects.
Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, is betting his first-term legislative achievements and more than 50 years of experience in Washington will count for more than concerns over his age. He faces a smooth path to winning his party’s nomination, with no serious Democratic rivals. But he is still set for a hard-fought struggle to retain the presidency in a bitterly divided nation.
“I said we are in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are,” Biden said. “The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer.”
