Topline
President Joe Biden said Tuesday he might not be seeking reelection if former President Donald Trump weren’t also running, telling supporters at a campaign event that he “cannot let (Trump) win.”
“If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running,” President Joe Biden said at a fundraiser on … [+]
Key Facts
“If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running,” the president said during a fundraiser near Boston, according to multiple outlets.
Biden is gearing up for a likely rematch of the 2020 election between himself and GOP-front runner Trump, who is leading Republican polls with almost 60% support, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Biden has faced pushback from Democratic voters who have signaled they would like someone else to represent the party in 2024, with a poll released in September showing 67% of voters want a different candidate, Axios reported.
Big Number
82. That’s how old Biden would be at the start of a second term, if he is reelected. Were Biden inaugurated at 82, he would beat the previous record—already held by him—for the oldest president at the time of swearing in.
Chief Critic
Biden has faced criticism from some within his own party who believe the fact he is running serves to help Trump. “If we have somebody under 60 and ran against Trump, we’d get 55 percent,” longtime Democratic political consultant James Carville said on an episode of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast in September.
Key Background
Trump has been beating Biden in some recent polls, with the former president topping the current in polls covering five key battleground states early last month. Trump, who announced he was running in 2022, is facing multiple federal and state indictments but has not let his legal troubles slow his campaigning or his support as he continues to lead the Republican field. Biden announced he was seeking reelection in April, saying he would continue his “battle for the soul of America.” Biden’s reelection campaign was largely expected, despite concerns about his age. The only prominent Democratic challengers who have entered the race against Biden are Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota—who has critiqued Biden’s age and approval ratings—and former 2020 candidate Marianne Williamson.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/12/05/biden-says-he-might-not-be-seeking-second-term-if-trump-wasnt-running/