Democrats are adamant that President Joe Biden will not drop out of the 2024 election and are quick to shut down critics saying the president should withdraw from the race — but Biden himself has dropped several hints indicating his campaign may be short-lived.
Biden has repeatedly portrayed the election next November as a stark choice between himself and former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in the Republican primary. However, he has indicated that he might not stick around until the end of the 2024 election and seek another term.
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“Not sure” about campaign launch without Trump’s bid
Biden cast doubt on the reasons for his reelection campaign on Tuesday, stating that he is not sure he would be running for a second shot at the White House if Trump hadn’t launched his presidential bid.
“If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running, but we cannot let him win,” the president said.
When asked if he’d run without Trump, Biden said, “I expect so.”
“But, look, he is running, and I have to run,” the president continued, adding that he wouldn’t end his campaign if Trump is forced to drop out.
“President Harris”
Since 2020, there have been many instances in which Biden has mistakenly called Vice President Kamala Harris “President Harris.”
In November, Biden called Harris “President Harris” during the White House’s Stanley Cup celebration in an apparent joke. Biden has made a similar mistake on at least six occasions.
On one such occasion in October 2022, Biden called Harris “a great president” while wishing her a happy birthday during a White House Diwali event.
“Happy Birthday to a great president; we know your mom is always with you,” Biden said.
Harris taking the helm at major public events
The president has been letting Harris take the lead at several high-profile events in recent months, a turnaround from the first block of their partnership where they attended everything as a united front.
Most recently, Harris is attending COP28, a major United Nations global climate summit, in Biden’s place in Dubai. On Sept. 11, she attended the annual ceremony hosted by the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City instead of Biden, who marked the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Alaska. While most presidents have attended the 9/11 ceremony in New York, several in recent history have marked the anniversary on the White House lawn instead.
In May, Biden lightened his White House schedule and ushered in Harris to take the lead on an artificial intelligence meeting with tech executives — less than a week after he announced he was running for reelection.
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The president’s decision to allow Harris to take point in leading events and meetings could be a way to prepare Harris for a more administrative and executive role ahead of his possible departure. He also could be pushing her into the spotlight more to prepare the Democratic Party to select her as his successor if he bows out of the 2024 race.
Some Democrats have indicated that Harris would be the likely replacement for Biden as the presidential candidate on the 2024 Democratic ticket, drawing concerns from both critics and allies that she may not have the strength or experience to take on Trump in the general election.
