U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he will run for re-election in 2024, while describing the next election as a battle for democracy and freedom for everyone and saying, “Let’s finish the job.”
“When I ran for President four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are. The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer,” Biden says in a video announcing his campaign. “I know what I want the answer to be and I think you do too. This is not a time to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for re-election.”
Biden, who is now 80 years old and the oldest president in U.S. history, has long signaled his intention to run for a second four-year term.
If Biden is re-elected, he will continue to be the oldest person to serve as President; on Inauguration Day 2025, he would be 82 years old. Despite Democratic concerns about his age, Biden has faced no significant opposition, even as the Republican field has grown.
According to a recent poll by NBC News, however, 70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, believe Biden shouldn’t run again. More than half of those who don’t want Biden to run cite his age as a “major” reason for their decision.
