First lady gives major indication that Biden will run for re-election

First lady Dr. Jill Biden.
(Image credit: TARA METTE/AFP via Getty Images)

First lady Dr. Jill Biden on Friday gave one of the clearest indications yet that President Biden is planning to run for re-election in 2024.

The first lady, who is on the final leg of a five-day trip to Africa, was asked during an interview with The Associated Press if her husband would seek the White House again. "How many times does he have to say it for you to believe it?" she said. "He says he's not done. He's not finished what he's started. And that's what's important."

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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

This sentiment was echoed by the president's granddaughter, Naomi, who joined the first lady on the African trip. "Preach nana," she wrote on Twitter following the interview.

The president himself was asked about his wife's comments in an interview with ABC News just hours later. "As my mother would say, 'God love her,'" Biden said, adding that his "intention has been from the beginning to run. But there are too many other things we have to finish in the near term before I start a campaign."

President Biden has not yet committed to seeking re-election, but these comments seem to all but confirm that he will make a run for a second term. AP noted that White House aides "have said an announcement is likely to come in April, after the first fundraising quarter ends." This is around the same time that former President Barack Obama launched his 2012 re-election campaign.

Democrats continue to question whether Biden is the right candidate to beat a GOP challenger a second time.

Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.