just tell us already
Joe Biden knows he's a 2020 tease
Another day, another tease from Joe Biden.
The former vice president still hasn't told the world about his 2020 ambitions, turning everything Biden says into an opportunity to speculate about whether he's running or not. But after his Tuesday comments to the International Association of Fire Fighters in Washington, it's seems pretty clear where Biden is leaning.
Biden spoke at the group's annual meeting on Tuesday, stepping onto the stage to cries of "run, Joe, run" and a sea of signs reading the same. "I appreciate the energy you showed when I got up here," Biden said, then added "save it a little bit longer — I may need it in a few weeks," per Bloomberg's Jennifer Epstein. That prompted more cheers, to which Biden said "Be careful what you wish for." And after the event, Biden told reporters asking his 2020 plans that "we’ll announce that pretty soon."
Biden came very close to running in 2016, only declining due to the recent death of his son Beau Biden. He's now "95 percent committed" to the 2020 race, and is only second guessing a run because he fears attacks on his family, people close to the former vice president have said.
If Biden enters the race, he'll have the support of the IAFF, its president tells Bloomberg. In his Tuesday speech, Biden decried President Trump's budget that would cut Medicaid funding and defended collective bargaining rights, per Bloomberg. He also addressed his recent comments saying Vice President Mike Pence is a "decent guy," saying "if you noticed, I get criticized for saying anything nice about a Republican." Read more about what Biden said at Bloomberg.