White House Chief of Staff: "Biden to Decide on Re-election After Christmas Holiday"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to officially announce his bid for the 2024 presidential election as early as right after the Christmas holiday.

According to the Wall Street Journal on the 6th (local time), White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain attended the WSJ CEO Council Summit and said, "I have heard from many Democrats nationwide that they want President Biden to run," adding, "The president will make that decision." Klain mentioned, "I expect the timing to be right after the holidays, and I believe he will make that decision (to run)."

President Biden has not officially declared his candidacy yet, but he has repeatedly expressed his intention to seek re-election. He also mentioned during a White House press conference shortly after the November 8 midterm elections, when asked about it, "I will make that decision early next year."

Recently, more concrete moves toward re-election have been confirmed. President Biden recently requested the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to change the first primary state to one that better guarantees racial diversity. He proposed starting the first primary in South Carolina instead of Iowa, which has served as the "presidential election barometer" for over half a century. South Carolina was the region where Biden made a comeback during the 2020 primary. Additionally, he suggested eliminating the caucus system, which only party members participate in, and instead holding primaries that allow general voters to participate.

Facing a crisis due to the so-called "economic judgment theory" ahead of the November 8 midterm elections, President Biden has escaped an early lame-duck crisis thanks to the Democrats' unexpectedly strong performance. The theory that Biden could not win re-election, which had surfaced within some parts of the Democratic Party, has also weakened.

However, as he recently turned 80 years old last month, concerns about whether he can serve another four-year term as an octogenarian president continue to pour in regarding his age and stamina. Recent major polls in the U.S. show that a majority of voters have expressed negative opinions about President Biden's age. In an Ipsos poll conducted in November, 70% of voters said he is "too old." Moreover, President Biden's approval rating remains only in the low 40% range.

If President Biden solidifies his decision to run for re-election, the 2024 presidential election is likely to become a "Biden vs. Trump" rematch. Former President Donald Trump officially announced his candidacy last month as expected. This will be his third attempt following his 2016 election victory and 2020 re-election defeat. Other Republican presidential hopefuls include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, among others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.