Now, in the coming months, Biden will probably answer a simple question: would he still want to be president at the age of 86? And, if so, is he prepared to take down Donald Trump, 76, – or perhaps another, possibly much younger, Republican candidate – to win a second term in 2024?
Should the answer be yes, Biden will make clear that despite many Americans’ wariness and the fact that he is the oldest president ever to occupy the White House, he is ready to continue leading the Democrats.
But if the answer is no, a vigorous battle to inherit his crown will ensue, with everyone from his vice-president, Kamala Harris, to his transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, expected to participate.
By all outward appearances, Biden plans to run for a second term. “Watch me,” he replied in November, when asked to respond to one of the many polls that has found a majority of Americans do not want him to stand again. That same month, one of the biggest arguments against his candidacy – that his unpopularity would harm Democrats nationwide – was undercut when the party did better than expected in the midterms.
Denne historien er fra January 13, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra January 13, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Saudi football World Cup is an act of violence and disdain
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Murky love stories, nostalgic pop and an in-your-face masterpiece captured our critics' ears in 2024
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Votes of confidence
From India to Venezuela and Senegal to the US, more people voted this year than ever before, with over 80 elections across the world. With rising authoritarianism and citizen-led resistance revealing its vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges, has democracy reached its breaking or turning point?
