President Biden formally announced on Tuesday, April 25th, that he is running for re-election.  The 80-year-old Biden asked the American people to re-elect him in 2024 saying “Let’s get the job done!”  The President faces an uphill battle as he runs for re-election among a bitterly divided nation and high tensions between the parties.

While President Biden faces no serious contention in the Democratic primaries, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson have announced campaigns for the presidency for the Democratic nomination.  The Democratic National Committee however has opted not to have primary debates causing minor outrage on the left and ridicule from the right.

While not from his own party directly, many Americans have concerns over the age of the president, especially that he’d be 86 if he left office after a 2nd term.  Gaffes and verbal blunders reminiscent of the Bushism of the early 2000s, only contribute to lack of faith in the President’s ability to lead the country. 

According to CNN, only 1/3rd of Americans approve of President Biden deserving of re-election.  Many have become familiar with the President’s gaffes which contribute to concerns about his re-election campaign.  In the past, Biden has, in events, laughed about a mother whose sons died from a fentanyl overdose, asked to see a dead congresswoman to congratulate her, and checked his watch at the funeral of 13 American soldiers.

Those horrible PR failures, mixed with the comedic clumsiness like falling down Air Force One stairs, are just part of the storm.  Policy failures and blunders also contribute to questions about President Biden’s ability to lead the country. 

The disastrous withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan which angered our British allies for our recklessness that put their servicemen in danger, left 13 US Troops dead following an attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, and ultimately the Fall of Kabul undercut the credibility of the Biden Administration.

In addition, the seeming incompetency from DHS Secretary Mayorkas with the border and fentanyl crisis, transportation blunders and insensitivity to the East Palestine incident from SoT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, misplaced priorities of the DoD under SecDef Austin, and tone-deaf foreign policies from the DoS under Secretary Blinken; essentially, President Biden’s entire cabinet contribute to increased criticism from the right as the White House appears in constant damage control.

Opposition from GOP Presidential Candidates has already begun to rise with Former President Trump releasing attack ads against President Biden.  “You could take the five worst presidents in American history, and put them together, and they would not have done the damage Joe Biden has done to our Nation in just a few short years. Not even close”, said President Trump in a campaign event for his own re-election bid.

GOP Legislators have also taken swipes over the past few years at the Biden Administration.  When working out the US debt, Speaker McCarthy criticized the President’s lack of compromise saying “Defaulting on our debt is not an option, but neither is a future of higher taxes, higher interest rates, more dependency on China and an economy that doesn’t work for working Americans.”  Further criticism comes from the GOP criticizing the high prices of everyday foods and specifically gas, citing the Carter administration’s economic failures.  The White House responded with their claim that the Russia-Ukraine war is to blame, however, RNC Research counters the White House’s claim claiming the war only accounts for $0.20 added to gas prices.

Opposition has also come from usually liberal voters, notably environmentalists who have recently been appalled by the Biden Administration for its allowance to the ConocoPhillips company to drill on 3 sites in Alaska.  The Willow Project approval has been seen by many environmentalists and democrats as a betrayal of the President’s promises and campaign pledges.

With President Biden seemingly at a disadvantage from all fronts, the primaries and eventual General Election in 2024 are sure to be wild as candidates from all ends of the political spectrum rush to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.