US President Joe Biden has formally announced his 2024 re-election bid, a move that had been widely expected for months. The announcement comes despite opinion polls showing that most voters, including a majority of fellow Democrats, did not want the 80-year-old to seek a second term.
In a video statement released on Tuesday, Biden touted his new campaign as a fight for democracy in the US. He said his pledge to fight “for the soul of America,” which was the core message of his 2020 run, remains valid.
“The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer,” Biden said in the address. “I know what I want the answer to be and I think you do too. This is not a time to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for re-election.”
The video comes exactly four years after the launch of Biden’s previous presidential campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris joins him on the ticket again.
The announcement puts Biden on course for a possible rematch against former president Donald Trump, who is viewed as a frontrunner for the Republican nomination.