With his approval rating at 38% – and having remained below 50% since May – the 79-year-old Biden has been hurt by inflation and voters worry he will not be able to meet the demands of the presidency in 2025. Last November, the White House said Biden plans to run again in 2024. Read more A pair of Democratic US representatives from Minnesota have made the message clear. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “The country would be well served by a new generation of exciting, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats coming up,” Democratic Representative Dean Phillips said in an interview last week on WCCO radio in Minneapolis. Phillips praised Biden’s decency and service, but added that it’s time for a generational change. Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, who unlike Phillips faces a tough re-election Nov. 8, said Tuesday that she “is in lockstep and alignment” with Phillips, according to the Minnesota Post. He may have been trying to position himself better with independent voters, according to some analysts. However, recent polls have found similar views among Democratic voters. A July New York Times/Siena College poll found that 64 percent of Democrats want a new nominee in 2024, and a CNN poll last week found 75 percent of Democrats support that view.
TRUMP FACTOR
Party activists usually rally around their president, especially if he signals that he is seeking a second term. And they may do so if former President Donald Trump, 76, decides to run again in 2024, a possibility he has publicly flirted with. “The hunger for a new generation of leadership shows. But the hunger to defeat Trump will always matter more. Biden is still the only name on the list of Republicans or Democrats who have done it,” noted Matt McAlvana, former Gov. Obama. and a member of the Senate leadership. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in July showed that a third of Republican voters believe Trump should not run again. read more Polls show Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis, 43, is gaining traction with Republican voters. White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. read more
NOT A “READY ALTERNATIVE”
An aide to a veteran House Democrat said Wednesday that Biden’s diagnosis with COVID-19 last month set off a conversation among a half-dozen Democratic aides of varying political stripes about Biden’s future. It was unclear whether they reflected their bosses’ sentiments, but the aide noted there was a general consensus that it would be “foolish” to dump Biden given his strong victory over Trump in 2020. “It’s not like we have a ready alternative,” the aide added. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other prominent Democratic lawmakers have voiced their support for a Biden run in 2024. Others keep their options open. During a debate Tuesday night between three Democrats vying for a House seat in New York, longtime Rep. Carolyn Maloney said she did not believe Biden was running for re-election when asked if she would support his candidacy. A day later she declared her support. Her leading opponent, Representative Jerrold Nadler, said such questions are best left until after the Nov. 8 midterm elections, when Republicans are favored to regain majorities in at least one chamber of Congress. The chatter comes as Biden points to a track record of legislative accomplishments. He signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill in November, less than a year into his presidency, a stark contrast to Trump who has talked about infrastructure for four years but never won legislation. Last month, Biden signed the first major federal gun safety bill in three decades. Now, Democrats in Congress aim to pass a record investment in climate change mitigation and a program to lower prescription drug costs for seniors while urging corporations and the wealthy to meet their tax obligations. Ben LaBolt, a Democratic strategist and former spokesman for former President Barack Obama, said Democratic lawmakers should focus on those victories. “It’s a strange time for this kind of chatter to be happening when the administration is on the verge of some record achievements on many of the top issues facing the American people,” LaBolt said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Richard Cowan, additional reporting by Jeff Mason. Editing by Scott Malone and Josie Kao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
