US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on 24 February 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo: Drew Angerer / Getty Images via AFP
President Joe Biden indicated on Friday that he will indeed be announcing a 2024 bid for a second term – only not right away.
Speculation has been mounting over Biden’s plans. At 80, he is the oldest person ever in the US presidency and while he has repeatedly said he intends to run again, he has yet to commit.
In an interview with ABC News’ David Muir, he said “my intention is…, has been from the beginning, to run”.
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Asked about an earlier interview on Friday in which his wife First Lady Jill Biden told the Associated Press that the time and place of a campaign announcement was all that remained to decide, Biden quipped: “As my mother would say, ‘God love her’.”
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However, he indicated that he is in no hurry.
“There’s too many other things we have to finish in the near term before I start a campaign,” he said. “I’ve got other things to finish before I get into a full-blown campaign.”
Asked by ABC whether his age is part of his calculation on whether or not to run, Biden said: “No. But it’s legitimate for people to raise issues about my age. It’s totally legitimate to do that.”
“The only thing I can say is ‘watch me,'” he added, referring to his record in office.
Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term. Earlier this month, an extensive medical test found him to be “healthy, vigorous” and “fit to successfully execute the duties of the president”.
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