Joe Biden has formally confirmed he will run for a second term as US President - and has begged voters to let him "finish the job" at 81.
The 80-year-old spent the weekend with close advisors at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, where he finalised his decision to run again in the 2024 election.
Vice-President Kamala Harris, 58, will also be his running mate with Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a senior White House adviser, serving as his campaign manager.
“Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more sacred,” Mr Biden said in a three-minute-long launch video.
In the video, Mr Biden painted the Republican Party as extremists trying to roll back access to abortion, cut Social Security, limit voting rights and ban books they disagree with.
“Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away. This is not a time to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for re-election. Let’s finish this job. I know we can", Mr Biden said.
In doing so he repeated a mantra he said a dozen times during his State of the Union address in February, listing everything from passing a ban on assault-style weapons and lowering the cost of prescription drugs to codifying a national right to abortion after the Supreme Court’s ruling last year overturning Roe v. Wade.
He is aiming to secure a second term in office and follow in the footsteps of Barack Obama, George W Bush and Ronald Regan and not be a one term president such as Donald Trump and Jimmy Carter.
Despite being the oldest man to serve as president, the Democrat would be 86 at the end of his second term in 2029.
His decision to stand comes after a recent NBC poll showed 70 per cent of voters not want Mr Biden to stand again - with more than half of Democrats also sharing the same opinion.
Voters have alluded to the president's age as the main reason for not wanting him to stand again - with 48 per cent believing it is a "major concern."
When the president was asked if he shared the concerns from voters over his age, he said: “It’s legitimate for people to raise issues about my age. And the only thing I can say is, watch me.”
However, Mr Biden had a medical earlier this year which showed he was healthy and able to perform his duties as president.
Kevin Madden, a former adviser to Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid, told the Financial Times the hardest challenge Mr Biden will have to overcome is the fact his decision to run is not being met with "enthusiasm."
Mr Biden has made multiple gaffes whilst in office and is referred to as "Sleepy Joe" by Donald Trump.
He said: "Biden’s biggest challenge is that his announcement is not really being greeted with enthusiasm. Instead it’s being met with this overwhelming sense of reluctance.”
However, Democrats believe if Americans are faced with a choice of Joe Biden and Donald Trump again, the President will win.
Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic strategist, said: “Joe Biden has already beaten Donald Trump, and the last thing that the majority of Americans want to do in this country, again, is to have Donald Trump in the White House.
"Joe Biden will make mistakes, but in a matchup against Donald Trump, Biden wins.”
Mr Trump is the favourite to emerge as the Republican nominee, creating the potential of a historic sequel to the tumultuous 2020 campaign.
But he faces significant hurdles of his own, including the designation of being the first former president to face criminal charges.
Donald Trump has announced his intention to run as president but is expected to face competition from 44-year-old Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
Mr DeSantis had overtaken Mr Trump in several polls but since the former president was indicted on 34 felony charges after allegedly paying hush money to Stormy Daniels in the run up to the 2020 election, his support has since increased.
A recent NBC poll showed Mr Trump on 46 per cent and Mr DeSantis on 31 per cent.
However, Mr Biden will stand on a platform where he spent his first two years as president combating the coronavirus pandemic and pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package and legislation to promote high-tech manufacturing and climate measures.
With Republicans now in control of the House, Mr Biden has shifted his focus to implementing those laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements, while sharpening the contrast with the GOP ahead of an expected showdown over raising the nation’s borrowing limit that could have debilitating consequences for the country’s economy.
The president's time in office has been criticised by voters with his last-minute decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and high inflation said to be key factors ahead of the 2024 election.
