Biden says he’d be ‘very fortunate’ if Trump runs in 2024

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden stated Thursday he could be “very lucky” if former President Donald Trump decides to run in opposition to him within the 2024 presidential election.

The comment got here throughout a press convention on the NATO headquarters in Brussels in response to a query about “widespread considerations in Europe” that Trump, who had long-standing disagreements with NATO, might be elected once more and undo NATO’s current work.

“(In) the subsequent election, I might be very lucky if I had that very same man operating in opposition to me,” Biden stated.

Trump continues to falsely argue the 2020 election was stolen by citing baseless voting fraud allegations. Though Trump has not formally introduced a run for president in 2024, he is repeatedly teased that he’ll once more search the Republican nomination, boasting in a February speech on the Conservative Political Motion Convention, “We’ll do it once more.”

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Some observers speculate Democrats may benefit from a 3rd presidential run by the polarizing Trump as a result of his candidacy might energize a progressive base in any other case not enthused by Biden. Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, main as much as a riot on the U.S. Capitol to overturn the election, are the topic of an ongoing Democratic-led investigation within the Home.

Biden, who has stated he intends to run for reelection, has nonetheless confronted questions whether or not he’ll comply with by means of given his age and tough first yr in workplace. Biden will be 81 years outdated in the course of the 2024 election and could be 86 on the finish of a second time period. A March 15 Wall Road Journal ballot discovered 52% of People do not consider Biden will run for reelection in two years, whereas 29% stated they anticipate him to hunt a second time period. Nineteen p.c stated they had been undecided.

Extra People consider Trump will run than the sitting president. The ballot discovered 49% of People consider Trump will run a 3rd time, in comparison with 27% who do not assume he’ll. Twenty-four p.c had been not sure.

Biden, who has been hampered by low approval scores for months, stated the 2024 election continues to be “a great distance off” and that his focus stays sustaining Democratic management of the Home and Senate on this yr’s midterm elections.

However he stated it is “not an illogical query for somebody to ask” about the way forward for U.S.-European relations if Trump returns to workplace.

“One of many issues that I take some solace from is, I do not assume you will discover any European chief who thinks that I’m not as much as the job,” Biden stated. 

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Biden pointed to his first G7 convention final yr in England. “I stated ‘America’s again.’ And one considered one of my counterparts, colleagues, a head of state stated, ‘For the way lengthy?’  And so I do not blame, I do not criticize anyone for asking that query.”

Biden’s approval ranking within the RealClearPolitics common of polls is 41%, with 53% of People disapproving of his job efficiency. In the meantime, Trump is considered favorably by 44% of People, in line with the RealClearPolitics polling common, whereas 51% view him unfavorably.

Within the 2020 election, Biden defeated Trump 306 to 232 electoral votes and a margin of greater than 7 million votes (51.3% to 46.9%) within the widespread vote. However Biden received the battleground states of Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona by razor-thin margins, that means the end result was considerably nearer than the electoral faculty tally may counsel.

Attain Joey Garrison on Twitter @Joeygarrison