President Joe Biden
President Joe BidenGripas Yuri/ABACA via Reuters Connect

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that his decision to run for reelection in 2024 was not an automatic one, and added that it is legitimate to bring up his age as he seeks another term.

“It wasn’t an automatic decision about running again,” Biden said at a campaign reception in New York, as quoted by The Hill. “Not because I didn’t think there was more to do, but because I thought to myself…four more years means six more years. It’s a long time.”

The president, who is 80 years old, added that “it’s a legitimate thing to raise the question of age.”

Biden officially declared his intention to run for reelection in 2024 in late April, potentially setting up a rematch with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.

Biden would be 86 years old at the end of a second term and his age has already been brought up by political rivals in the election. Republican candidate Nikki Haley warned recently that a vote for Biden is a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, because Biden is unlikely to “make it” to 86.

A poll which was recently released found that most Americans do not want Trump to run for the White House in 2024, and a majority does not want Biden to run for reelection, either.

Meanwhile, an ABC News/Washington Post poll released earlier this week found that, if the 2024 presidential election were held today, 45% of registered voters said they would vote for Trump, compared to just 39% who said they would back President Biden’s reelection bid.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis led Biden by a similar six-point margin, 44% to 38%.