Biden allies chart out campaign plans as president stalls 2024 announcement
Ryan King
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President Joe Biden may be talking like a candidate, but he’s not yet running as one, prompting his allies to chart out campaign plans slowly behind the scenes.
His confidants have reportedly been eyeing top talent and brainstorming strategy as a decision from the president looms. Biden has repeatedly insisted he intends to run for reelection, but he has also been bogged down by multiple political skirmishes, such as the lingering debt ceiling battle and troubles abroad, including the war in Ukraine and an increasingly assertive China.
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“I plan on running, Al, but we’re not prepared to announce it yet,” the president told Al Roker of the Today Show Monday.
Although Biden’s 2024 campaign has not been launched, there is speculation that its apparatus will be headquartered near Wilmington, Delaware, NBC reported. Two Democrats being eyed for national co-chairs include Keisha Lance Bottoms and Cedric Richmond.
The president has not yet approved of campaign leadership, but there have been interviews, and various candidates have been considered, according to the report. One 2020 campaign veteran reportedly being eyed for a senior campaign role in a possible 2024 operation is Jennifer Ridder.
“The decision part is over, but he resents the pressure to have to announce what he’s already decided,” one source said. “It’s frustrating, but it’s also very Joe Biden.”
A bevy of heavyweight Democrats — such as Govs. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and more — have tamped down rumors they will run in 2024, leaving Biden with an almost clear field.
Biden has attracted challenges from lower polling aspirants such as bestselling spiritual author Marianne Williamson and environmental lawyer Robert Kennedy Jr., who announced his campaign last week.
By refraining from making his reelection bid official, the president is keeping the option not to run on the table. If he were to step out of consideration, Democrats would be caught flat-footed without much of a backup plan in place, as other top members of the party haven’t taken steps to build a campaign operation.
One benefit of waiting is that Biden is keeping much of the focus on the GOP infighting over the party nomination. As the front-runner, former President Donald Trump has been unleashing political attacks on his top foe, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Meanwhile, Democrats have been stockpiling opposition research on the top GOP candidates.
“No Republican candidate or potential candidate will affect our timing,” a Biden adviser told Axios.
Confidants of Biden have reportedly argued the president is in no rush to launch his campaign and contend that he doesn’t have to be. Rumors of the possible timetable have shifted repeatedly, from shortly after the State of the Union address to April and, more recently, July or even in the fall.
A drawback of delay is money. Technically, Biden can’t fundraise for a campaign operation until he announces.
Despite not being in the race, Biden has sought to court voters. He has made numerous stops in key states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, and more over recent weeks, touting his accomplishments as president and taking shots at Republicans.
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Perhaps the biggest hurdle for Biden is the looming fight over the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, which is set to come to a head between June and August, according to various estimates.
“You cannot announce before a fiscal cliff. There is no space to announce before the fiscal cliff and not have Republicans push you over the cliff,” a source told NBC.