President Joe Biden is expected to launch his bid for reelection as early as the week of April 23, according to sources familiar with the matter. The launch is expected to come despite concerns over his age. At 80 years old, Biden is already the oldest president in American history.
The New York Times opinion editorial board highlighted the age factor as a “legitimate concern.” It wrote that many Democrats, particularly younger ones, are worried Biden will “simply be too old to be effective in a second term.”
By the end of a potential renewed term, President Biden would be 86 years old.
Only about half of Democrats think President Joe Biden should run again in 2024, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. Despite this, a large majority say they would still likely to support Biden if he becomes the nominee.
Meanwhile, 70% of Americans overall say they don’t want Biden to run again, according to an NBC News survey. 48% cited age as a major factor.
Biden has long said he intends on running for a second term but has held off on making a formal announcement. His current approval rating sits at about 42%. This rating is comparable to past presidents Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump, both of whom lost their reelection bids, according to Politico.
However, approval ratings cannot solely predict a reelection outcome, Politico reports. Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama both at this juncture had approval ratings dip in the 40 percentage range but went on to win their second terms for the presidency.
Importantly, approval ratings can change drastically between now and Election Day as the U.S. responds to the economy, the war in Ukraine and various other issues.
When President Biden confirms his bid for reelection, he will share the Democratic field with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, both of whom announced their bids for the White House this year.
