Republicans were portrayed by President Biden as a threat to democracy and abortion rights when he launched his 2024 re-election campaign, but the GOP responded that the race would be decided by the weak economy and Mr. Biden’s advanced age.
With a video presentation on Tuesday, Mr. Biden formally announced his run for re-election, setting himself up for a potential rematch with former President Donald Trump, who he defeated in the 2020 election. Political polarization will be present during the 2024 campaign, and both parties will be vying for votes in a small number of key states and among a tiny percentage of voters who aren’t firmly aligned with one party or the other.
In the video, Mr. Biden frames the election as a choice between having “greater freedom or less freedom, more liberties or fewer in the years ahead. Both you and I are aware of the response we both hope to receive. This is not the time to relax. I’m running for reelection because of this. He lists a few freedoms that are at danger, including the right to an abortion, same-sex marriage, and voting.
The three-minute clip begins with visuals from the attack on the American Capitol on January 6, 2021, and then makes reference to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade before Mr. Biden speaks the word “Freedom,” emphasizing the value as the foundation of his first term.The commercial, which cautions against “MAGA extremists,” prominently features Vice President Kamala Harris, who is once again his running companion.
In a statement made public before the video, Mr. Trump repeated his bogus assertions that he won the 2020 election while criticizing Mr. Biden for his handling of the southern border and high inflation. In all of American history, there has never been a more stark contrast between two succeeding administrations. We are magnificent, and they are failure,” he declared.
Mr. Biden would be 86 years old by the end of a second term, making him the oldest president in American history at the age of 80. The majority of Americans disapprove of his presidency, and polls indicate widespread popular unease about his age and suitability for office, including among many Democrats. When asked about his age, Mr. Biden responded that people should watch him work. His legislative accomplishments, such as passing comprehensive infrastructure and climate legislation and winning financing for the Covid-19 epidemic, according to aides, would strike a chord with people.
Every generation of Americans has experienced a time when they have had to preserve democracy, stand up for our civil rights, and safeguard our individual freedoms like the right to vote. And now is our time,” Mr. Biden declared in the video, pushing fans to check out his campaign website. Let’s do this task, I’m confident we can.
The president spoke to the building trades unions of North America in the afternoon, giving him the chance to promote his bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure package. Later on in the day at her alma school, Howard University, Ms. Harris will give a speech at a demonstration for abortion rights.
Mr. Biden said, “We now have to finish the job and you’re leading the way because our economic plan is working. He needed to “finish the job,” but the crowd cut him off by chanting “four more years.”
In contrast to the 2020 race, where contenders like Mr. Biden shunned in-person campaigning, the 2024 contest, which will also determine the House and Senate majority, will proceed differently.
Democrats performed better than expected in the 2022 midterm elections, in part because to voters’ worries about protecting access to abortion and hostility to Trump-backed politicians. Mr. Biden is sending the message that he anticipates these concerns will inspire Democrats and independents in 2024 by emphasizing these themes more than his legislative achievements. Despite the fact that many Republican contenders favor limits, Mr. Biden has stated that he will seek to maintain access to abortion.
Mr. Biden has long focused on defending democracy both at home and abroad. Prior to the midterm elections, he made a well-known speech on the subject in Philadelphia.
As he enters the contest, the president is up against opposition. A recent Wall Street Journal poll shows that 42% of voters are satisfied with the work Mr. Biden is doing, compared to 56% who are not. These figures haven’t changed significantly in more than a year. Additionally, the poll revealed that only 15% of voters believe the nation is headed in the right direction and that Mr. Biden is unpopular with voters on almost all significant issues, including his management of the economy and infrastructure.
Mr. Biden has been criticized for high inflation by Republicans. They have also berated him over the disorderly withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, claimed that Mr. Biden had brought forth “crisis after crisis.”
Mr. Trump, who lost to Mr. Biden in the 2020 election, is in the lead among Republicans even though the first primary elections are still months away. The poll reveals that in a straight race against Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden receives 48% of the vote and Mr. Trump 45%. Compared to Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce his candidacy in May or June, Mr. Biden receives 45% of the vote, while Mr. DeSantis receives 48%. In Mr. Biden’s introduction video, Mr. DeSantis can be seen momentarily close to Mr. Trump.
