US President Joe Biden on Tuesday officially announced he's running for a second term. As was widely expected, he kicked off his reelection bid in a video message on the fourth anniversary of his 2020 campaign launch.
The clip is entitled "Freedom," which Biden says is under threat in America from Republicans who want to undermine democracy, cut entitlement benefits, ban "woke" books, or take away voting rights. The footage is heavy on imagery of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. It also features VP Kamala Harris closely working with Biden — although he mentions neither Harris nor his presumptive rival, former President Donald Trump, by name.
The US president, 80, now ends any remaining speculation that he might change his mind, a shock move that would have opened the field to other Democrats who, like many Americans, are still concerned about Biden’s age. He must now be in campaign mode 24/7 and no longer has the luxury of hiding from the cameras.
Making it official means Biden will soon be able to start fundraising. It also means that whatever he does as president from now on will be viewed through a 2024 campaign lens. Meanwhile, a majority of voters from both parties remain meh on a Biden-Trump rematch, which is still more likely than not.
So c'mon Americans, let's do it all over again!