US President Joe Biden told CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he intends to run for re-election in 2024 but has not yet made a “firm decision.”
“Look, my intention as I said to begin with is that I would run again. But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen,” he said.
“I’m a great respecter of fate. And so, what I’m doing is I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job. And within the timeframe that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do,” added the President.
Biden pushed back on concerns about his fitness for the job, saying, “Watch me. If you think I don’t have the energy level or the mental acuity, then, you know, that’s one thing. It’s another thing, you just watch and, you know, keep my schedule. Do what I’m doing.”
“I respect the fact that people would say, you know, ‘You’re old,’” the President continued. “And — but I think it relates to how much energy you have, and whether or not the job you’re doing is one consistent with what any person of any age would be able to do.”
Biden had previously confirmed in an interview this past December that he plans to run for re-election in 2024. That confirmation came after then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki had told reporters that Biden intends to run for re-election.
A report last month indicated that Biden is readying plans to launch his re-election bid after November’s midterm congressional elections.
Biden’s popularity has been on the decline. A recent poll found that 64 percent of Democrats would prefer a candidate other than Biden in 2024. 26 percent of Democrats said they would still support Biden in the next presidential election.
A recent CNN poll found that 75 percent of Democratic and left leaning voters did not want the party to field Biden as their candidate in the 2024 election.