President Joe Biden officially announced his bid for a second term on Tuesday, naming Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a campaign co-chair and Quentin Fulks, a former top political adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the principal deputy campaign manager.
With no fanfare, the 2024 reelection launch of the Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign for a second term came in a three-minute video released at little after 5 a.m. Chicago time
In it, Biden sets himself up for a replay run against former President Donald Trump, though he does not mention him by name. Biden takes aim at MAGA Republican extremists for threatening the nation’s democracy and uses a slogan he unveiled at this 2023 State of the Union address: “Let’s Finish the Job.”
Another main theme used in Biden’s 2020 run is in play again, that Biden remains in a battle “for the soul of the nation.”
Duckworth is one of seven campaign co-chairs. She was on the shortlist to be Biden’s vice presidential pick in 2020, is a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and got the ball rolling to land the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Fulks managed the 2022 reelection campaign for Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. He was the deputy campaign manager for Pritzker’s 2018 governor bid, going on to be the senior political adviser for the governor. He also managed Pritizker’s unsuccessful “Vote Yes for Fairness” drive to pass a graduated income tax in Illinois.
Julie Chávez Rodríguez will serve as campaign manager, stepping down from her White House job running intergovernmental affairs, making her a key link to other elected and appointed officials across the nation. Mayor Lori Lightfoot met with her at the White House when she was in Washington last week.
Biden, who casts himself as a “regular Joe,” on Tuesday delivers remarks to the North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference. Pritzker will also be addressing that same conference on Tuesday.
Polls show Trump is the front-runner for the GOP nomination despite being under indictment and facing a variety of legal woes. The MAGA extremist movement he founded remains a strong, influential part of the GOP political landscape — and Biden tackles that head-on in his video, titled “Freedom.”
Biden in his speeches and remarks has been taking aim at “MAGA extremists.”
“That’s been the work of my first term: To fight for our democracy. This shouldn’t be a red or blue issue. To protect our rights. To make sure that everyone in this country is treated equally. And that everyone is given a fair shot at making it.
“But around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away. Cutting Social Security that you’ve paid for your entire life while cutting taxes for the very wealthy. Dictating what health care decisions women can make, banning books, and telling people who they can love. All while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote.
“When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are. The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer.
“I know what I want the answer to be and I think you do too. This is not a time to be complacent.”
Harris in a statement said the “Republicans running for president want to take our country backwards. We will not let that happen. Just like we did in 2020, we must come together to fight for our democracy, continue to make progress, and make sure all Americans can get ahead and thrive. Joe and I look forward to finishing the job, winning this battle for the soul of the nation, and serving the American people for four more years in the White House.”
Transcript of Biden’s ‘Freedom’ Campaign Launch Video
“Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more sacred.
That’s been the work of my first term: To fight for our Democracy. This shouldn’t be a red or blue issue. To protect our rights. To make sure that everyone in this country is treated equally. And that everyone is given a fair shot at making it.
But around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away. Cutting social security that you’ve paid for your entire life while cutting taxes for the very wealthy. Dictating what health care decisions women can make, banning books, and telling people who they can love. All while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote.
When I ran for President four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are. The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer.
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.
Because I know America. I know we are good and decent people. And I know we are still a country that believes in honesty and respect, and treating each other with dignity. That we’re a nation where we give hate no safe harbor. And we believe that everyone is equal, and that everyone should be given a fair shot to succeed in this country.
Every generation of Americans has faced a moment when they’ve had to defend democracy. Stand up for our personal freedoms. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights.
And this is our moment.
So if you’re with me, go to JoeBiden.com and sign up. Let’s finish this job, I know we can.
Because this is the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.”
