Joe Biden has officially announced that he is running for a second term as president of the United States, four years after announcing his candidacy in 2019. “Let us finish the job,” says a campaign video in which he refers to the threat of anti-democratic forces in his country.
“Every generation has a moment when they must defend democracy,” says the video message on Twitter in which Biden announces his candidacy. “I believe ours has arrived. That is why I am running for re-election as President of the United States. So join. Let us finish the job.”
The campaign video shows images of the storming of the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, possible opponents such as the same Trump and Ron DeSantis, and Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene. These are contrasted with Biden’s achievements in the past two years – with images of factory visits or the appointment of the first black female judge to the Supreme Court.
“MAGA extremists ready to attack important freedoms.”
“Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. But, unfortunately, this is not the time to be complacent,” said Biden. “MAGA extremists across the country (‘Make America Great Again’, Trump’s slogan, ed.) are lining up to attack important freedoms or to undermine the Social Security you’ve paid for all your life. Meanwhile, they want to abolish taxes on the super-rich, decide what women can do with their bodies, ban books, and dictate who they can love while making it as difficult as possible for people to vote.”
“The issue we all face is whether we will have more or less freedom in the coming years,” Biden continued. “More rights, or less. I know America, and I know we are good and decent people. I know we are still a country that believes in fairness and respect, in treating each other with dignity.”
Biden (80) is the oldest president in the history of the United States. At the end of a possible second term, he would be 86 years old. In recent months, partly due to his advanced age, discussions have arisen within the Democratic party regarding whether Biden would be the appropriate presidential candidate. However, his popularity in the polls has declined sharply in recent months.
Still, it seems unlikely that Biden will face much competition in the primary for the Democratic nomination: traditionally, no one runs against an incumbent president.
The announcement immediately provoked criticism from Republican quarters. According to Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, “Biden is disconnected from reality if he thinks he can earn four more years in power while only creating crises.”
Among the Republicans, Donald Trump (76) currently seems the most likely presidential candidate. He announced in November that he would run for president again. He is expected to have to compete against a broad field of opponents for the Republican nomination. However, he is well ahead in the polls, despite all the scandals that have tarnished his image.
