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."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Political cartoons for November 15Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include cowardly congressmen, a Macy's parade monster, and more
-
Massacre in the favela: Rio’s police take on the gangsIn the Spotlight The ‘defence operation’ killed 132 suspected gang members, but could spark ‘more hatred and revenge’
-
The John Lewis ad: touching, or just weird?Talking Point This year’s festive offering is full of 1990s nostalgia – but are hedonistic raves really the spirit of Christmas?
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
