An age-old problem? Octogenarian Biden faces questions on 2024 race

Joe Biden has presided over legislative deals that American presidents have sought for years, struggled with unpopularity yet led the Democrats to a historically strong performance in last year’s midterm elections, all before turning 80.

- Chris Stein

Now, in the coming months, Biden will probably answer a simple question: would he still want to be president at the age of 86? And, if so, is he prepared to take down Donald Trump, 76, – or perhaps another, possibly much younger, Republican candidate – to win a second term in 2024?

Should the answer be yes, Biden will make clear that despite many Americans’ wariness and the fact that he is the oldest president ever to occupy the White House, he is ready to continue leading the Democrats.

But if the answer is no, a vigorous battle to inherit his crown will ensue, with everyone from his vice-president, Kamala Harris, to his transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, expected to participate.

By all outward appearances, Biden plans to run for a second term. “Watch me,” he replied in November, when asked to respond to one of the many polls that has found a majority of Americans do not want him to stand again. That same month, one of the biggest arguments against his candidacy – that his unpopularity would harm Democrats nationwide – was undercut when the party did better than expected in the midterms.