Even though a majority of Democrats don't believe President Joe Biden should seek a second term, he announced his intention to do so – with Kamala Harris at his side – early Tuesday morning in a three-minute video. Speculation suggests the announcement came in video form to ensure Biden wouldn't make any verbal gaffs, which he is prone to do. Should he obtain his party's nomination, Biden would be 82 on Election Day 2024; and should he win, 86 at the conclusion of a second four-year term.
Jenna Ellis is a former attorney for President Donald Trump. She now hosts a weekday morning show on American Family Radio.
"The polls are showing that even among Democrats less than 30% want Joe Biden to run for re-election," she points out. "He had in 2020 suggested that he would only be a transitionary president and only serve one term. I think that would have opened the door for better candidates from their side – and of course, 'better' is a relative term; I don't think there are any Democrats worth voting for."
Robert Knight, a conservative activist and columnist for The Washington Times, questions the motivation of Biden's handlers.
"… For some reason [they] think this is a good idea for him to actually officially announce that he's going to running for re-election, even though the public – including many Democrats – think that he's too old, that he has declining cognitive abilities, and that he's caused any number of disasters including high inflation and lowered standing in foreign affairs."
Knight argues Biden has "made a mess of the presidency" – and says the fact Democrats still view the 80-year-old as a viable candidate makes him worry about the integrity of America's electoral system.
"There's no way this man should be re-elected given his record, his personal liabilities, and the increasing number of valid reports about his family's corruption involving foreign entities like the Communist Party of China and Ukraine. I find it demeaning, actually, that they think this is the best we can do," he tells AFN.
Both Ellis and Knight argue that a tactic by the Democratic Party actually reveals a lack of confidence in Joe Biden: the party doesn't intend to hold any primary debates.
"And the obvious reason for that," says Ellis, "is because he simply can't hold his own on the national stage. Now if he does get the nomination again and move forward into the general [election], of course he will face whoever the Republican nominee is."
The Republican National Committee has announced it is launching FactCheckBiden.com, which is dedicated to fact checking the president in real time.
How vulnerable is Biden in his own party?
Meanwhile, conservative activist Gary Bauer says splits in the Democratic Party are more serious than most people understand and could give Biden something to worry about.
"The splits [in the Democratic Party] are a lot more serious than most people understand because the media doesn't write about them that much. They just spend all their time writing about divisions in the Republican and conservative ranks," says Bauer, chairman of Campaign for Working Families.
Bauer cites a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll showing Biden with 67% support among Democrats, and Robert Kennedy Jr. at 14%. Candidate Marianne Williamson garnered 5%; 13% are undecided. All those polled backed Biden in 2020.
"It's almost impossible to imagine that Robert Kennedy Jr. could get the nomination. But if there is a serious battle that Joe Biden's got to worry about, that he's got to divert resources to, that divides that party," Bauer explains.
"That is one of things historically that ends up making an incumbent president more likely to lose his re-election bid. It happened to Jimmy Carter when he was challenged by Ted Kennedy – and it was a problem for Carter until Kennedy dropped out of the race."
According to Bauer, Kennedy's candidacy – announced just last week – is causing some consternation at the White House.
