President Joe Biden announced during a Tuesday campaign event that he was “not sure” he would be running for a second term if former President Donald Trump was not running again.
During a Tuesday campaign fundraising event in Boston, Biden told donors that his main motivation for running in next year’s presidential election is to prevent Trump from winning, according to NBC News.
“We’ve got to get it done, not because of me,” Biden said. “If Trump wasn’t running I’m not sure I’d be running. We cannot let him win.”
According to NBC News, Biden’s presidential campaign has made several trips to Boston in order to raise more money from Democratic donors as the 2024 election cycle is quickly heating up. NBC News also reported that Biden’s reelection campaign is planning to focus on responding to each of Trump’s claims as he campaigns to be the Republican presidential nominee.
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A recent TIPP poll showed that the president’s approval ratings continue to hit new lows with American voters. The poll showed that Biden’s job approval rating decreased from 39% in November to 33% this month.
According to Reuters, Trump responded to Biden’s comments during a Fox News town hall event on Tuesday. Addressing Biden’s motivation for running for president again, Trump said, “Somebody gave him a talking point they thought would sound good.”
Biden later appeared to walk back his comments when he told reporters at the White House that he believed that his decision regarding a second term in office would have been the same regardless of Trump running. He added, “Look, he is running, and I have to run.”
Asked if he would consider dropping out of the presidential race if Trump dropped out, Biden said, “No, not now.”
