Democratic members of Congress don’t want President Joe Biden to run for reelection in 2024 but are keeping quiet in order to preserve their own career interests, according to Politico.
Several Democratic representatives told Politico that Biden shouldn’t run again at the National Governor’s Association’s winter meeting, citing his advanced age and limited ability to campaign, but all but one of them refused to make their comments on the record. Democratic Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who has been vocal in his belief that Biden is too old to seek reelection, told the outlet that many of his colleagues agree with him but are keeping quiet out of fear that speaking out could damage their political careers.
“It’s fear, plain and simple,” he told Politico. “People are focused on self-preservation and their aspirations.”
Democrats are also concerned that if Biden doesn’t run, Vice President Kamala Harris will, which could endanger the party’s chances in the 2024 election, Phillips told Politico.
LANHAM, MARYLAND – FEBRUARY 15: U.S. President Joe Biden greets supporters after delivering remarks at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union Local 26 on February 15, 2023 in Lanham, Maryland.
“Nobody wants to be the one to do something that would undermine the chances of a Democratic victory in 2024,” he told the outlet. “Yet in quiet rooms the conversation is just the opposite — we could be at a higher risk if this path is cleared.”
One Democratic House member told Politico that Biden should run for reelection before going off the record, having the reporter turn his phone off and explaining that Harris was not an option. Another member privately admitted to trying to convince First Lady Jill Biden that her husband shouldn’t run again.
Only 37% of Democrats want President Joe Biden to run for reelection in 2024, according to a Feb. 6 poll from the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, down from 52% last fall.
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