US President Joe Biden confirms 2024 re-election bid in video announcement

The Democratic president announced his re-election bid in a video posted on social media at around 6am Eastern Time on Tuesday – four years to the day that he announced his first bid on 25 April 2019.

“Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms,” he tweeted alongside the video.

“I believe this is ours. That’s why I’m running for re-election as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job.”

The video opens with a clip of footage from the January 6 Capitol riot, followed by a shot of protesters outside the Supreme Court after the overturning of Roe v Wade.

“Freedom,” he said. “Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are.”

At 80, Mr Biden is the oldest candidate in American history to ever make a re-election bid.

He has been teasing his 2024 bid for some time, telling reporters on a trip to Ireland in early April that he would make an announcement “relatively soon”.

Then on Monday, when asked by reporters if – and when – he would be throwing his hat into the ring, he replied: “I told you I’m planning on running. I’ll let you know real soon.”

Following his announcement, the US is now shaping up to see a rematch of the 2020 presidential election, when Mr Biden beat Donald Trump in the Republican’s quest for a second term.

Mr Trump launched his presidential election campaign – his third – in November, aiming to become the second-ever commander-in-chief to be elected in two non-consecutive terms.

But, based on recent polls, a 2020 rematch does not appear to be what the American people currently want.

A Hart Research poll commissioned by NBC News found that 70pc of Americans – including a 51pc majority of Democrats – don’t think Mr Biden should run for another term.

Meanwhile, 60pc of respondents, including 33pc of Republicans, also think that Mr Trump should step aside as well.

For some time, Mr Biden’s approval rating has also been dismal, sitting in the low 40s.

Yet despite the ratings, Mr Biden is believed to have been spurred to enter the race following the Democrats’ stronger than expected performance in the 2022 midterm elections.

Historically, the party in power performs poorly in midterm elections but, in November, Democrats held control of the senate while Republicans’ expected “red wave” failed to materialise.

Mr Biden is also asking voters to put aside concerns – that have been ramped up by his Republican rivals – about his age and give him four more years to complete his promise to heal the “soul of the nation” when he entered the race in 2019.

Mr Biden is believed to be preparing to tap White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Julie Chavez Rodriguez to head up his re-election campaign.

Ms Rodriguez was the deputy campaign manager of the president’s successful 2020 campaign.