The chair of the powerful House oversight committee, Representative Carolyn Maloney, said on Tuesday that she does not think President Joe Biden will mount a campaign for a second term in 2024.
Speaking during a primary debate for candidates vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination in New York’s 12th congressional district, Ms Maloney and other candidates were asked whether Mr Biden should run for re-election.
She responded: “I don’t believe he’s running for re-election”.
Another 12th district candidate, Representative Jerrold Nadler, said it was “too early” to say whether Mr Biden should throw his hat into the ring for 2024.
Mr Biden is 79, and is the oldest person ever to be sworn-in as America’s chief executive. He would be 82 years old on the day he would be sworn in for a second term, a full five years older than the next-oldest president, Ronald Reagan, was when he left office in 1989.
The 46th president’s age has long been a point of attack for his critics in the Republican Party, many of whom frequently suggest without evidence that Mr Biden is senile or suffering from unspecified ailments which have resulted in a decline in his cognitive functions.
Behind closed doors, Democratic insiders have groused about Mr Biden’s low approval ratings and his advanced age, and some have privately suggested that he step aside after one term. Ms Maloney is among the highest-profile Democrats to say Mr Biden should not seek re-election, and her statement comes just after two of her Democratic colleagues, Representatives Dean Phillips and Angie Craig of Minnesota, said Mr Biden should stand down after a single term.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent, but Mr Biden has repeatedly said he intends to stand for election in 2024.
