Addressing reporters at a press conference in Brussels — where the president is meeting with NATO, G-7 and European allies for emergency talks aimed at ending Russia’s war on Ukraine — Biden broke with the longstanding norm that presidents don’t talk about domestic politics while abroad.
“In the next election, I’d be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me,” Biden said, Politico reported.
Biden, who has long touted his decades of experience in foreign policy, has used the world stage to stand in contrast with his immediate predecessor, who was accused of harming Washington’s relationships abroad and cozying up with leaders like China’s Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 2024 chatter on Thursday followed a question about whether the US and its NATO allies were taking any steps to safeguard, or Trump-proof, the alliance in the event that Trump or another MAGA figure became president in 2024.
The president, who will be 81 in 2024, has insisted he will run for a second term if he is in good health, as he is now. He also said in December that a rematch against Trump would make him more likely to run for president again.
“Sure. Why would I not run against Donald Trump? He’s the nominee, that increases the prospect of running,” Biden said during a December interview with ABC News.
It’s no secret that Trump is considering a bid in 2024. He hedges when asked on Fox News, but often notes that his supporters will be “very happy” with his choice. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Biden’s remarks.