US President Joe Biden, 80, is to seek re-election in 2024, he announced on Tuesday.
His quest for a second White House term is dividing opinions considering his age. He is already the oldest U.S. president ever.
Doctors have declared Biden, who does not drink alcohol and exercises five times a week, “fit for duty” after an examination in February.
The White House says his record shows that he is mentally sharp enough for the rigors of the job.
Biden’s approval ratings were stuck at just 39% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on April 19 and there are steep concerns about his age among some Americans.
He would be 86 by the end of a prospective second term, almost a decade higher than the average U.S. male’s life expectancy.
Biden made his re-election announcement in a produced video released by his new campaign team, in which he declares it is his job to defend American democracy.
“When I ran for president four years ago, I said we’re in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are,” Biden said. “This is not a time to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for re-election.”
“Let’s finish this job. I know we can,” he said in the video.
Biden described Republican platforms as threats to American freedom, vowing to fight efforts to limit women’s healthcare, cut Social Security and ban books, while blasting “MAGA extremists.”
MAGA is the acronym for the “Make America Great Again” political slogan of Trump, who may well be Biden’s Republican opponent in the November 2024 election.
Biden will be joined in his 2024 quest by his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
