Biden tells Obama he's running again in 2024

As his approval rates continue to hit record lows, President Joe Biden reportedly told former President Barack Obama that he plans on running for reelection in 2024.

Biden’s electoral admission came just weeks after he told reporters in Brussels that he’d be “very fortunate” to run against former President Trump in the upcoming presidential election.

“[Biden] wants to run and he’s clearly letting everyone know,” a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.

The source also said that despite his troubling approval ratings, Biden still has the best chance at defeating the Republican favorite in 2024 – a troubling reality for the Democratic party.

“I believe he thinks he’s the only one who can beat Trump. I don’t think he thinks there’s anyone in the Democratic party who can beat Trump and that’s the biggest factor,” the source added.

But pundits on both sides of the isle have voiced concerns over the 79-year-old president’s age.

Biden was the oldest politician in history to take the reins in Washington and would be 82 at the start of his second term should he win out against the GOP’s future candidate.

Last week, a new Quinnipiac University Poll found that only 33% of Americans feel content with how he handles his job responsibilities, with 54% of respondents disapproving and 43% “strongly” disapproving.”

“In today's poll, Democrats approve (76 - 12%) of Biden's job performance, while independents disapprove (56 - 26 percent) and Republicans disapprove (94 - 3%),” the university said in a statement. 

Similarly, a new CNBC survey found that only 38% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president, while an unprecedented 53% disapprove. Individuals polled were especially concerned with the economy and only 35% of Americans said they approved of how the president has handled the economy, with 60% disapproving.

All together, a FiveThirtyEight average of recent polls puts Biden’s approval rating at just under 42 percent. 

Even so, some Democratic analysts feel confident that the economic and political ground is shifting in a positive direction and could provide Biden with better footing as he heads into the 2024 campaign season.

“He can recover,” said Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist and director of Hunter College’s public policy program. “A lot will depend on the outcome of the midterms. If Democrats don’t fare very well, he’ll be going into 2024 from a position of weakness, if you will.”  

Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, pointed out that several modern presidents – including Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama -- have recovered from political challenges and successfully gone on to win reelection bids. Others, however, have not been so lucky and Presidents Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump were unable to come back after their approval ratings tanked.

Although Biden has stated on several occasions that he plans on seeking reelection, he has said that his plans could easily be disrupted by “fate.”

“I’m a great respecter of fate,” Biden said in a December interview. “Fate has intervened in my life many, many times. If I’m in the health I am in now, if I’m in good health, then in fact I would run again.”