President Joe Biden has been reassuring aides and allies that he intends to seek reelection in 2024 as concerns surrounding his viability as a candidate continue to fester inside Democratic circles.
At a virtual fundraiser in early November, Biden told campaign donors that he has no plans to forgo running for a second term, although he cautioned that he has “never been able to plan 3½, four years ahead, for certain.”
Former Democratic National Committee chair and ex-governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell said that “what [Biden] is saying publicly is what he firmly believes. There’s no difference. He will not run if he feels he can’t do the job physically or emotionally.”
But there is ample angst among Democratic operatives over the chances of Biden actually appearing on the 2024 ticket due to his age.
Biden will be 81-years-old when the next presidential election rolls around. Over the weekend, he received a clean bill of health following his annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Another fear that is gripping Democratic operatives is the prospect of a nasty primary contest – particularly between 2020 rivals Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg – if Biden ultimately decides against running again in 2024.
Buttigieg has denied that any sort of rift currently exists between himself and the vice president.
