Biden says he's running again, but does he mean it?

President Biden assured key donors and allies at a fundraising event last month that he plans to run for a second presidential term in 2024, the Washington Post reports. If elected, he would be 82 years old on Inauguration Day, shattering the record currently held by Ronald Reagan, who was 73.

This announcement comes amid concerns over Vice President Kamala Harris' 28 percent job approval rating. The Week columnist W. James Antle suggested Friday that, if Biden does run again, he might even face pressure to drop Harris from the ticket. On the other hand, if she remains on the ticket and Biden fails to complete his second term for any reason, Vice President Harris would become President Harris, giving her the advantage of running as the incumbent in 2028.

Some high-level Democrats, as well as a host of commentators, have expressed concerns about the president's health in a second term. Biden's critics frequently allege that his mental acuity is already slipping.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Other anonymous sources inside the party told the Post they doubted whether a Biden 2024 campaign would ever materialize. Biden's stated intention to run again seemed to them like an insincere but necessary strategy to avoid turning himself into a "lame duck."

The Democratic National Committee has done nothing to lay the groundwork for a contested 2024 primary. By this time four years ago, they had already begun preparations.