Biden, 80, announced his bid through a video framing next year’s election as a contest against Republican extremism.
US President Joe Biden announces his 2024 reelection bid. US President Joe Biden formally announced on Tuesday that he is running for presidential reelection as Democrat against Republican Donald Trump, asserting his commitment that his age will not be stopping him to lead the administration.
Biden, 80, announced his bid through a video framing next year’s election as a contest against Republican extremism, implicitly arguing “he needed more time to fully realize his vow to restore the nation’s character”.
The campaign announcement marks the fourth anniversary of the president’s first successful presidential campaign launched on April 25, 2019.
Vice-President Kamala Harris — a historical woman to be the first VP and a person of colour — will be running again with him for her incumbent post, she also announced.
In a video, the Democratic presidential nominee said: “When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are.”
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“Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more sacred,” Biden said in the video.
“The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer,” Biden said in voiceover narration with images of the Capitol Hill incident, and people protesting before the Supreme Court over abortion rights.
“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 reelection,” he said.
His formal announcement has ended the lingering doubts about his rematch with his rival former president Donald Trump — who has been facing more than 34 criminal charges.
Biden is launching his reelection campaign with a significant record of legislation but low approval ratings — a problem that his advisers were unable to solve. Moreover, he is also been facing questions about his age as he is the oldest president of the US in history.
Biden will make his best efforts to restore the country’s character and prevent Donald Trump from taking the Oval Office again. The themes upon which he will be garnering support from his country’s people will be the same — making an appeal to the nation’s ideals.
In a warning, his video also announced against “MAGA extremists” who Joe Biden says are “dictating what health care decisions women can make, banning books, and telling people who they can love.”
He went on to narrate: “Every generation of Americans has faced a moment when they’ve had to defend democracy. Stand up for our personal freedoms. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights. And this is our moment.”
His campaign will also rest on promoting his achievements in his first two years in office alongside a widely used argument that he needs more time to finish the job.
He said: “I know we can.”
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