On Tuesday, April 25th, President Joe Biden, 80, officially announced that he is running for re-election in 2024 with Vice President Kamala Harris by his side, with a promise to protect American liberties from “MAGA extremists” who support former President Donald Trump. Biden said that he believes American democracy still faces a profound threat from Trump, 76, and his supporters, and told voters he wants to stand up for their fundamental freedoms.
Biden, who is the oldest president in history, would be 86 at the end of his potential second term, and Sky News reported that many Democratic voters actually said that they would prefer it if he *didn’t* seek a second term due to his age. Sky News referenced a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research which showed just 47% of Democrats said they wanted him to seek a second term, which interestingly was up from 37% in February. Biden himself has reportedly called those concerns “totally legitimate,” but still asked voters to give him more time to “finish the job” and “stand up for democracy.”
Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours.
That’s why I’m running for reelection as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job. https://t.co/V9Mzpw8Sqy pic.twitter.com/Y4NXR6B8ly
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2023
Joe Biden Launches His Re-Election Campaign: ‘Let’s Finish The Job’
Biden shared a three-minute pre-recorded video on Twitter on April 25th, which starts with scenes of Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, with the following caption: “Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours. That’s why I’m running for re-election as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job.”
As part of his re-election campaign, Biden argued that American democracy is still under threat from Donald Trump, who is still allowed to run for office despite being the first current or former US president to be charged with a crime. If you’ll recall, the twice-impeached former president pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy for his alleged role in hush money payments. Trump is the early frontrunner in the Republican primary race and could face off against Biden in the November 2024 election.
Joe Biden Says American Democracy Is Under Threat From Donald Trump And MAGA Extremists
In a pre-recorded video message, President Biden said: "Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There's nothing more important. Nothing more sacred. That's been the work of my first term: To fight for our democracy. This shouldn't be a red or blue issue. To protect our rights. To make sure that everyone in this country is treated equally. And that everyone is given a fair shot at making it."
"But around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away," he continued, in reference to the acronym for Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan. Biden went on to remind voters about Republican efforts to cut "social security that you've paid for your entire life while cutting taxes for the very wealthy," as well as their efforts to dictate "what health decisions women can make," in addition to "banning books, and telling people who they can love. All while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote."
"When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are," Biden continued. "The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer. 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."
Kamala Harris also issued a brief statement on Twitter to confirm that she is supporting Joe Biden, saying: "As Americans, we believe in freedom and liberty-and we believe that our democracy will only be as strong as our willingness to fight for it. That's why @JoeBiden and I are running for re-election."
